Author:
Mike Barnicle wannabe
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Date Posted: 21:30:50 08/22/05 Mon
(published in, New Hampshire Union-Leader, editorial, 8/17/05)
Tougher sex laws:
Lynch looks into it
WHAT IS right for Florida might not be right for New Hampshire, and that goes for laws as well as coral-colored stucco homes and flip-flops in November.
Gov. John Lynch wants to toughen the state's sex offender laws, and some activists are urging him to copy, word for word, Florida's latest attempt to crack down on child sex offenders, called the Jessica Lunsford Act. But Lynch is right to have the attorney general's office study the issue before he crafts a bill.
Florida forbids convicted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, playground or day care center. That law was on the books when 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted and killed, allegedly by a mason's helper who worked on her school and stayed at a house near Lunsford's.
Florida's new law requires construction workers and other school contractors to undergo background checks before being let on campus. The law also sets a penalty of 25 years to life for anyone convicted of sexual assault against children younger than 13. In New Hampshire, the penalty for sexual assault against a minor age 13 and younger is 10 to 20 years.
The Miami Herald reported yesterday that Florida schools will incur massive expenditures for background checks on every construction worker, class ring salesman, etc. The Orlando Sentinel reported on Sunday that boundaries around schools probably will have little effect because the vast majority of people who commit sex crimes against minors violate neighbors, friends or family members, not strangers. These are just two cautionary tales that back up the governor's desire to study the issue.
One thing the governor can do now is see that existing laws are enforced. He also should encourage communities to check registered sex offenders more often than once a year. A few months ago Manchester police began a policy of visiting the city's registered sex offenders four to five times a year. So far they report a 12 percent reoffense rate, down from 16 percent last year.
Whatever new laws hit the books next year, people should not expect the crimes to stop. One Manchester detective reminded us to remind the public that laws such as the sex offender registry do not stop predators. Anyone expecting a panacea will be disappointed.
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"O'Reilly Factor" whacks Union-Leader for refusing to defend its editorial stance on sex offenders on TV
