Residents want Cluster Buster Ordinance that Targets Sex Offenders in Orlando
In Orlando, some Florida property owners are not content with the particular location of their home. One man residing in western Orlando has now learned that there are more than 50 sex offenders all living in his community.
With 53 convicted sex offenders just 1/4 mile from his home, his concern has become quite vocal. In some instances, groups of sexual predators have been released from prison and clumped together in one house, one apartment building, or even one hotel.
For this Orlando neighborhood, the laws concerning who can reside there are not too restrictive. Yet there are many nearby cities which have enacted stringent rules governing the living quarters for sexual offenders.
In a number of towns and counties these rules have meant that sex felons are not even allowed to live in certain neighborhoods. This has created a funnel effect and some areas have now ended up as host settings for these individuals.
As a result of such legislation, Florida has seen sex offenders moving into communities where these rules do not apply. Parts of Orlando are among these locations, although there are other areas that are being impacted as well. This now means that there are dozens of these former prisoners now living in neighborhoods where there are also numerous families with small children.
There are some rules in place that are meant to provide a buffer between registered sex offenders and the public. At the present time, a sex offender in Florida must be registered with both state and county law enforcement agencies. These registration lists are public domain and can be viewed by everyone. The offender must live no closer than 1000 feet to any school, park, day care or playground. Now communities are asking if these rules are actually enough.
Clusters of sexual offenders are now described by worried parents as making some areas of Florida much more dangerous for young children. They argue studies which prove that sexual predators may be more likely to act on their impulses when surrounded by others with similar characteristics. For many parents, it is totally unnerving just to know that several dozen convicted sexual felons are living so close to their homes.
In an attempt to keep high numbers of sex offenders from moving to any one community, Orlando residents want a “cluster-buster ordinance” enacted. The regulation would prevent convicted offenders from residing with (or near) another sex offender. In other words the cluster (or pockets) of sexual offenders would be fragmented (busted) and scattered over a larger residential area. Some counties have already passed this form of legislation and other neighborhoods want to follow suit. To learn more about registered sex offenders in your area, please visit the following website for Orlando, FL: http://www.city-data.com/so/so-Orlando-Florida.html
