The bill passed the Senate by a unanimous, bipartisan vote.
“This bill gives
municipal leaders a valuable and necessary tool for ensuring the
public’s safety in Connecticut’s cities and towns,” Crisco said.
“As a parent and grandparent, it makes me feel safer knowing
my town’s leader will have the ability to notify me if there is a
threat to my family’s safety. This bill is good public policy, and a
commonsense approach to securing our families in their homes and
neighborhoods.”
Senate Bill 432
requires the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
to notify the municipal chief executive officer when a registered
sex offender is released and resides, or intends to reside, in such
municipality.
DESPP must email this
notice and provide the CEO with the same registry information that DESPP
will post publicly on the Internet about the registrant.
This is particularly
important in situations where a sexual offender is released into a
neighborhood where young children reside.
The bill would give the municipal CEO discretion to inform residents of the neighborhood so that parents could take appropriate actions with respect to the safety of their children.
The bill would give the municipal CEO discretion to inform residents of the neighborhood so that parents could take appropriate actions with respect to the safety of their children.
The bill previously passed the Judiciary and Planning and Development Committees by unanimous, bipartisan votes.
Crisco and State
Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, co-sponsored the legislation
in response to a recent situation in the Town of Woodbridge where a
Group Home is home to two sex offenders. One of
the offenders was convicted of four felony sex offense crimes, two of
which involved young girls ages 5 and 7. The other offender was convicted
of two felony crimes involving sexual assault of a child.
Within two blocks of the
Group Home live families with 28-30 children, ranging in age from 1 to
17. School-age children get on and off the bus mornings and afternoons
and walk to their homes.
The bus stop for one of
the children was located directly in front of the Group Home. It was
relocated at the request of the parent once he learned of the residents
of the Home. However, it was several years before
the parents learned this information and were able to take appropriate
action.
This legislation would
have made a difference by giving the municipal CEO the information
necessary to inform families of the situation, and better secure the
safety of these children.
This is a press release from Crisco's office.
This is a press release from Crisco's office.
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