Milwaukee, WI tables residency restrictions.
Milwaukee County Wisconsin, has decided to table enacting a residency restriction. Although the idea seems well intended, the Common Council’s Steering and Rules Committee pointed out several collateral consequences that might actually make the area less safe.
Police feared that the 2000 foot proposed restriction would leave registrants with few housing options and prevent them from living with family. This would cause them to cluster in available areas, become homeless or worse; go underground.
“When you can’t keep track of them and when you don’t know where they’re living, that is really, it’s much more of a public safety concern than it is knowing where they are,” said Milwaukee police inspector Carianne Yerkes.
Most of South Florida is covered by a 2500 foot restriction and what officials here are discovering is that the limited housing options have caused them to cluster in available areas, become homeless and go underground.
Source: http://www.jrn.com/tmj4/news/Controversial-sex-offender-proposal-tabled-by-Common-Council-262958381.html
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I am pleased to see the officials in WI County have had a thoughtful response to this idea. Fact is empirical evidence clearly does not support residency restrictions as an effective tool to prevent future offenses. The reality is people with stable housing, jobs, family and ties to the community are less likely to have a violation.
The recidivism of former sex offenders is low as also supported by empirical research so rendering folks homeless becomes additional punishment without any benefit to public safety. In fact it is contrary to public safety goals.
Lets focus law enforcement and resources on true prevention efforts.
Federal government knows for every $1.00 spent on real prevention we save $34.00 in criminal justice expenses.