VM Ybor City civic association complains of concentration of sex offenders in their community
The VM Ybor City civic association has vocally complained about the concentration of persons forced to register living within their community. The figures cited in the story suggests that the broader City of Tampa has only 1 person forced to register per 311 residents, but this neighborhood has a concentration of 1 person forced to register for every 28 residents.
No complaints were made related to increased crime or any crime associated with this clustering of individuals. Simply, moral repulsion at the existence of people forced to register in the neighborhood and the proximity to others are cited as the problems.
That being said, the question is entirely legitimate: why the clustering in this part of town? A broader look at the extreme residency restrictions in Hillsborough County were not cited as a prime contributor to this problem, yet should be included in the assessment of why this has occurred and how can opportunities be created to allow registered citizens to live more dispersed.
The feel good nature of doing something, anything even, relying on dated and now discredited studies were the basis of establishing residency restrictions. Almost two decades of robust real estate development and several revisions to those restrictions have led to these intended consequences.
This story has been reported previously and will be reported again.
Education overcoming propaganda, rhetoric, and indoctrination. Beliefs, no matter how wrong, are very difficult to change. You have to be the trusted source. Speak truth to power.
“It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.” — Johnathan Swift
We definitely have an uphill battle which sometimes makes me feel like Sisyphus. Oh well, onward and hopefully upward.
Next time they will address this will be January 21st
They are going to ask zoning and fire marshal to attend to see if the houses meet code.
December 21
Wouldn’t it be awful if the city found some reason to condemn the 3 buildings and then simply said “problem solved”!
(Of course, then the story would simply go away.)
Seems like the milk of human compassion
and kindness has curdled and those complaining are requesting pasteurization.
Sounds like a violation of the living freely concept. Not being able to find housing due to being banned in certain places is a no brainer, punitive action. Many of those on the registry live on the streets. Not because they want to, but rather they are not allowed to in my places. Banishment seems to be a human right’s violation?
No contact specific to this reporter, so sent the following to their feedback option:
As it is clear that your station is of the opinion that sex offender registrant clustering in Ybor is a significant problem, perhaps your point would be better made if you expanded on all the new sex crimes committed surely committed by those registrants over the past, say, 5 years.
Take the five year point you make @Dustin and repeat it with the council before and at the Jan meeting they are having so it is on the record and forces them to address that homework assignment in finding answers.
Sorry, Dec 2023 meeting according to @Eugene below. Fat fingered that.
Then why doesn’t the City sue the State for causing these issues (I am positive other cities in the same predicament would join) with the settlement being two fold; one, the State SORNA laws being modified to include preemption to prevent lower authorities from passing local SORNA type laws (laws could only be passed at the State level) and two, a requirement that all existing residency restricitions be reviewed to scientifically prove they work or don’t work (give them 3 years or they will just take forever) and three, if they survice the study, that all future restricitions will require a peer reviewed study to show it will actually do what they claim.
Alan
I was talking with the Deputy who comes to do my compliance check. I told him it has been 33 years since my incident with not a single incident since. His reply was “See, that is proof the registry is working”.
How about give us a chance to prove that theory by allowing some of us off the registry before we turn 90.
HA! Compliance is not proof the registry works. They need to prove lack of compliance is proof the registry does not work. That is above their pay grade and thinking level.
I’ve heard that and similar conclusions from people who simply want to defend the registry. Recidivism rates were not changed significantly from before the registry existed. Besides, referencing a single person, i.e. you, has nothing to do with aggregate results. I send that stuff right back at them. By their logic, if one single registered person commits another sex crime, then that proves the registry does not work.
Ed
Also, there is no way to stop someone who is damn determined to re-offend. They will eventually be caught. Why do we, who have been successful in not re-offending, have to be punished for life, especially with no chance to prove us wrong. How can I prove the registry was not holding me back from offending unless I can be removed and prove myself.
The cops and lawmakers are operating under the false assumption that everyone convicted of sex crime share the same underling deviant pathology. It is simply a falsehood that has unfortunately been normalized as truth. And of course an ignorant populace has been brainwashed into believe that beautiful and convincing lie.
Hate and fear keep the lie going.
Facts
For example, someone who stole a loaf of bread to feed their family vs. someone who stole 12 packs of cigarettes. The first one does not want to do it again and felt guilty. The second one continues to feed their habit and they are not the same.
Someone who had a one time curious sex encounter of experimentation or experience is different than someone who preys on others for sexual satisfaction constantly. And yet we are all thrown into the same basket with very little chance of proving rehabilitation.
We could bring in 100 experts on the subject and the courts would say you need 500 to agree. Bring 500 and they say it doesn’t matter, you will always be dangerous. (Meaning if they let you off, the funding gets reduced, so dangerous to their program budgets)
Sorry such an ignorant statement was made by an uniformed LEO officer, the world if full of them. I believe I read an article within the last year that a study, or studies, have been done comparing the crime rates before and after implementation of SORNA and no statistical difference was ever found.
From what I find online, Ybor has 4,821 residents of which 4,749 are not perfect and harmful in their own right as well, which needs to be brought up in meetings to the attention of the others in Ybor. When they can cast a stone in a glass house without breaking any panes, then they can speak to the harmfulness of others (which will never be able to happen). Ignorant people…