The Absurdity of Signage Warning Sex Offenders to ‘Keep Out’ of Schools
Weekly Update 2017-05-03
Dear Members and Advocates,
This week has been all about keeping school children safe from sexual assault. A topic that inarguably everyone is on board with and should be focused on.
Marion County, Florida has instituted a new program “intended” to address this concern. They are posting three foot by three foot signs at school entrances warning registered sex offenders to keep out. The 180 signs will cost the school board and Sheriff’s Office $7740. They are also sending law enforcement officials to visit the homes of over eight hundred registered individuals in the County and make them sign a document (and take a thumb print) telling them they can’t be on school property. That will unquestionably take hundreds of hours of police time.
One article promoting the project quoted the Marion County School Board as believing the signs to be a “preventative measure to keep children safe.” Really? Will the signs keep kids safe from sexual victimization at schools? Do they really think someone intent on entering school property to abduct and sexually abuse a child will see the signs and turn around? Will neighboring counties start putting up their own larger signs because they are worried that the Marion County signs will create an influx of sex offenders crossing county lines to infiltrate their schools?
The idea of this sign policy is as asinine as residency restrictions which impact where registrants can sleep at night (when kids are NOT in school). Those intent on breaking the law will go underground and do so anyhow, and those who are trying to abide will be saddled with one more impediment to becoming productive members of society
These signs won’t do a thing to keep children safe from sexual violence at school. It will shame the children of registrants. It will make it impossible for rehabilitated ex-offenders to parent their own children and it will give all parents a false sense of security that the place they are delivering their children to every day is now made safer because of a stupid sign.
There is no question that each year thousands of kids become the victim of sexual violence at school. There’s no question that this fact is tragic and we should be investing in measures to prevent this. But there is also no question that the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and School Board are very misguided if they think that registered sex offenders are the ones who are committing these crimes. It’s the teachers, coaches, administrators and other students, who are!
If the money and resources were invested into educational and preventative programs instead of punishment, the County would be far better served. More importantly – the children would be far better served!
This weekly update isn’t dedicated to the single topic of the Marion County school signs. It’s just that the sign issue is illustrative of feel good policies that politicians (including an elected Sheriff and School Board) put out there to get votes, to pander to a misguided (and misled) public and make it seem like they are “doing something” to prevent a problem that does not exist to begin with. If we don’t push back, it won’t end!
As a reminder, our monthly member call will be taking place tomorrow night at 8PM, we look forward to having you join us!
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
Wisconsin: Judge finds sex offender ordinance unconstitutional<https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wisconsin-judge-finds-sex-offender-ordinance-unconstitutional/>
MILWAUKEE – A federal judge Monday found unconstitutional Pleasant Prairie’s initial ordinance that largely banned registered child sex offenders from residing in the village. The village amended its ordinance three months after the offenders filed suit in June 2016,…
FAC Submits Public Records Requests to FDLE and FDE<https://floridaactioncommittee.org/fac-submits-public-records-requests-fdle-fde/>
The Florida Action Committee has submitted Public Records Requests, pursuant to Ch. 119 Sec. 1 of the Florida Statutes and the Florida Constitution to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Educations. We submitted these requests to…
Untouchable: Everyone needs to see this film.<https://floridaactioncommittee.org/untouchable-everyone-needs-see-film/>
As David Feige’s documentary, Untouchable, continues to make it’s way through the Film Festival circuit, it’s important that we offer this film as much exposure as possible. The documentary, which is described in this review as, aiming to “recognize the many shades of…
Signs will warn sex offenders to stay off school grounds<https://floridaactioncommittee.org/signs-will-warn-sex-offenders-stay-off-school-grounds/>
Law enforcement officials will soon visit the homes of 760 sex offenders and 85 sexual predators in Marion County as part of a new program aimed at reminding convicted sex offenders that they are forbidden to be on the property of schools and child care facilities. As…