MCKINNEY, TEXAS—
Sex offenders are a constant worry for Meshel Gill. The McKinney mom has several offenders living nearby and she says she worries about sending her two boys out to play. She wishes the threat would go away."They could stick them in a big building in the middle of no where and that would make me happy."
It isn't that extreme, but city officials are considering a plan that would restrict where sex criminals could live. Under current law, sex convicts must live 500 to 1,000 feet away from schools, parks and daycares. The new proposal would double that to 2,000 feet or about a half-mile.
"As we grow and get larger as a city, it is an important aspect of our safety," McKinney Deputy Police Chief, Scott Brewer, said.
With more than 100 registered sex offenders, McKinney is just the latest North Texas city to take up a proposal to limit where sex offenders can live. In recent years, seven cities have passed similar rules.
"I think we are seeing so many organizations pass this because it is a feel good kind of legislation," Dallas Attorney, Michael Linz, said.
Linz thinks the laws do little to improve public safety because stranger danger crimes are over-hyped. Experts say and research shows that most predators who prey on children aren't strangers.
"We picture this person hiding behind a bush, who is a stranger and that is not the case. It is usually a family member or a friend who takes advantage of children."
City council members are expected to take up the proposal at a meeting, next month.
