Florida sex offender law: Swimming pool rules spark debate

lorida law already banned sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and playgrounds. The latest restriction extends that 1,000-foot exclusionary zone to include public swimming pools and splash pads.

The primary House sponsor, State Rep. Rachel Plakon (R-Seminole), stressed that the new law targets specific offenses. As written, it applies to offenders who have committed crimes against a minor. This can include repeat sexual predators as well as individuals convicted of a single offense.

While the bill passed with overwhelming support, a vocal minority of critics — including a handful of state lawmakers, the libertarian Reason Foundation, and some child victim advocates — warn the legislation could backfire and undermine public safety.

Because swimming pools are prevalent in Florida subdivisions, apartment complexes, and mobile home communities, critics argue the law will severely limit compliant housing options.

Critics express severe concern over the real-world impact of the law. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said, “Any time that I see that the staff is contradicting what the bill sponsor is trying to do, my antennae go up. … The fact the legislature passed this bill even knowing that there were these concerns should be a red flag to everybody.”

Hanna Liebman Dershowitz of the Reason Foundation stated, “Making it harder for them to get housing is really the opposite of a public safety strategy. It will undermine public safety. You can’t monitor people if they’re effectively off the map.”

Child victim advocate and sex crime survivor Gretchen Casey noted, “Generally, people don’t commit crimes of a sexual nature in public areas, okay. They do it where there is less likely to be, perhaps, a witness.”

SOURCE