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City may alert neighbors when sex offenders move in

Authorities must notify residents only when a predator, not an offender, moves into their neighborhood.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published April 3, 2005

OLDSMAR - While lawmakers in Tallahassee ponder using global positioning technology to keep tabs on sexual offenders, the Oldsmar City Council is brainstorming grass roots techniques for keeping residents in the know.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the council plans to discuss methods for letting residents know if a sexual offender has moved into their neighborhood, including putting a notice in monthly water bills telling people the offender's address.

The discovery of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford's remains in a neighbor's yard last month and the arrest of sexual offender John Evander Couey, 46, has caused everyone from state senators to soccer moms to take notice of how these felons are monitored.

Last week, the state House Criminal Justice Committee approved the Jessica Lunsford Act, which among other things would require sexual offenders to supply DNA samples and have tracking devices be implanted in them.

"After the past three months of headlines, I made up my mind we needed to do something about it," Oldsmar Mayor Jerry Beverland said.

Thirteen registered sex offenders or predators have an Oldsmar address, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sexual Predator/Offender Registry. That number includes those living in unincorporated West Oldsmar.

There are roughly 1,150 offenders and 50 sexual predators living in Pinellas County, according to law enforcement.

West Oldsmar resident Sherri Harris sent City Council members an e-mail last week suggesting that the city begin inserting fliers with names and addresses of sexual offenders in monthly water bills.

Harris could not be reached for comment, but wrote in the e-mail, "How am I going to sleep when this tragedy hits an Oldsmar child? . . . We can mail fliers in the monthly water bills to keep people updated on the locations of these predators. We can leave recorded messages on answering machines. We can go door to door."

But city attorney Thomas Trask warns that listing names and addresses of sexual offenders could pose considerable liability risks. Trask, who said he had not been approached about briefing the board next week, said a better remedy would be putting notices in monthly water bills directing residents to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Web site, www.fdle.state.fl.us The department maintains a searchable database of where registered sex offenders and predators live in the state.

But there are different notification requirements, depending on whether the person is classified as an offender or predator.

A sexual offender is someone who has committed a felony, including sex with a minor, rape or sexual assault, said Cpl. John Jewett of the Pinellas County Sheriff Office's sexual predator and offender tracking unit.

A sexual predator is a designation given by a judge to someone who has committed a first-degree sex offense or multiple lesser offenses.

Both offenders and predators are required to notify law enforcement if they move. Jewett and his staff of six are required to notify residents only when a predator, not an offender, moves into their neighborhood.

When sexual predators move, Jewett and staff go out and survey the person's new neighborhood. Once they have determined who should be notified, they place door hangers at each home notifying residents that a sexual predator has moved nearby.

Jewett's office also routinely visits offenders and predators and conducts investigations if they have moved without telling authorities.

Jewett said residents are always welcome to call his department if they have questions. But he warns that community notification efforts, like the ones being considered in Oldsmar, may give a false sense of security. Jewett said he did not know if any other localities were considering taking on their own notification efforts.

"Often we remind people that most of the sex offenders are never caught; it's about one out of 10," Jewett said. "And from statistics gleaned from the guys in prison, if they are caught, they're showing they may have had multiple offenses that they were not convicted for."

Jewett added that there is not much neighbors can do when sex offenders move without notification, as Couey did.

Still, City Council member Don Bohr said any attempt to keep people safe, especially children, is worth discussing.

"It's an issue of people being more aware of what's around them," Bohr said. "Maybe we could just include an updated list every two to three months in the water bill. . . . Even if you've only protected one child, you've gained."

Nicole Johnson can be reached at njohnson@sptimes.com or 727 771-4303.

The Oldsmar City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at City Hall, 100 State St. W.

[Last modified April 2, 2005, 10:10:05]