TN: DeKalb County, Tennessee considers alert system for registrants
Tonight, the DeKalb County Tennessee commission will consider adopting a resolution to establish a method of notification possibly through 911 to inform residents in a neighborhood if a sex offender has moved within 1,000 feet of a residence, school or childcare facility. Notification fees would be paid for by the sex offender along with his or her sex offender registry administration fees. Any residence, school, or child-care facility within one-thousand (1,000) feet from the closest proximity, structure to structure, of a sex offender’s residence will receive a notification.
We sincerely hope our sister organizations and members in Tennessee are aware of and on top of this, but just in case…
Here are some reasons for NOT passing this law:
Creates a False Sense of Security: Most sexual offenses are committed by people known to the victim, not strangers moving into a neighborhood. This system distracts residents from real risk factors and meaningful safety strategies.
Abuses the 911 System: 911 infrastructure is for emergencies. Using it for routine notifications risks overloading or desensitizing the system, which could delay response to actual life-threatening situations.
Encourages Vigilantism and Harassment: Broadcasting someone’s arrival through a county-run system increases the likelihood of threats, harassment, property damage, or violence. That puts families, neighbors, and first responders at risk.
Punishes Families Who Have Committed No Crime: Spouses, children, and family members living with the registrant will also become targets of community hostility and retaliation.
Increases Homelessness and Instability: If no one will rent or sell to registrants, they become transient or homeless. That makes monitoring harder and public safety worse.
Likely Unconstitutional and Vulnerable to Lawsuits: Policies that publicly expose and target individuals beyond state law have been challenged across the country. This could saddle DeKalb County with expensive litigation.
Shifts Costs Unfairly to Individuals: Requiring registrants to pay for notification systems is punishing beyond their sentence and could be challenged as excessive or unlawful under state and constitutional law.
No Evidence It Reduces Reoffending: There is no credible research showing community notification systems reduce sexual reoffense rates. Most studies show they either have no effect or increase instability.
Creates Liability for the County: What happens when someone doesn’t get notified due to a system failure? The county could face legal exposure for technical errors or failures.
Reinforces Fear Instead of Real Prevention: Real prevention involves education, treatment, monitoring based on risk, and community support. This policy relies on fear, not facts or effectiveness.
The county commission meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the county complex. You can contact the county commissioners below to tell them this is a bad idea.
County Commissioners District 1
Tom Chandler
901-326-8901 [email protected]
Daniel Cripps
615-489-7201 [email protected]
County Commissioners District 2
Myron Rhody
615-684-5495
[email protected]
Sabrina Farler
615-464-8624
[email protected]
County Commissioners District 3
Brandon Donnell
615-464-7996
[email protected]
County Commissioners District 4
Tony ‘Cully’ Culwell
615-417-3056 [email protected]
Greg Matthews
615-839-4923 [email protected]
County Commissioners District 5
Glynn Merriman
615-597-1066 [email protected]
Larry Green
615-406-5547 [email protected]
County Commissioners District 6
Jeff Barnes
931-409-4282
[email protected]
Andy Pack
615-684-2532 [email protected]
County Commissioners District 7
Beth Pafford
615-597-0609
[email protected]
Mathias Anderson
615-318-8223 [email protected]
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What comes to my mind is Epstein’s friends who went to party with underage girls will have no consequences at all. We won’t even know most of their names, but the lawmakers that are making these laws will punish everyone else except for the Epstein group of men. I wonder if letting them slide I know Trump wants tougher laws, but I wonder if he’s willing to do it to his friends and himself. But I wonder if those guys getting off cause this legal issues for everyone else being punished. I wonder if it’s easier to claim double standards and unquiet punishment.
Why not have an alert system of those who like to harass people on the registry? Why not have them on a terrorist watch list? We know, from what we’ve seen, that those people are more dangerous than the vast majority of prowling the SOR. Those are like the ones who conduct the fraudulent sting operations to create fake cases and then spend a lot of time terrorizing those on the registry – especially those with fake cases that speak out about it. That’s who everybody needs to be watching.
This is a terrible idea. It punishes all registrants whether they have physically attacked, (raped), victims or haven’t even tried to set up a meeting with the supposed victim but were caught in an undercover police sting and actually did nothing wrong. Families will be devastated and children will be the objects of bullying. Most of these people are not repeaters. Those who are can be prosecuted and jailed.Please consider these thoughts.
I’ll never forget the night my new address went live on the registry when my wife and I moved into our new home. Someone drove by and shot out the windshield of a truck parked in our driveway with a gun during the night. Little did they know, it was my brother’s truck who had just died from cancer at age 48. We had possession of his vehicle in order to sell it to pay for his outstanding medical bills he still owed even after passing away. The new windshield cost over $400 out of pocket. Thank you State of Florida! The registry is endangering our lives!!
No Body
What about the children, as in the registered family? Do they not matter?
If you are a child/teenager who is abused or know someone who is and you see and hear all this public notification, that may actually deter a child from speaking out. One…it may draw attention to them inadvertently because now their family member is being blasted all over the community…well who was that victim people will wonder? I could list so many scenarios where this public notification (and so forth) may stop someone, either the victim themselves or another family member from speaking out about harm. Adults writing these laws forget what it is like from a child’s perspective with their minds still developing. They look at it from an adult view to punish, leaving behind the needs of the actual victims. Another reason this idiocy needs to stop.
Just more proof that it was never about helping children as much as it is about political grand standing.
will never be an end to the bad ideas until all those Epstein island predators (most of whom write these laws) are given the equal opportunity to live under the laws they inflict upon others …
George Carlin once said something to the effect of we have a two-party system in this country. A party of bad ideas and A party and no ideas.
Guess which one this is.
I can’t wait!!!!
What does that mean Mary?