New restrictions could ease residency limits on sex offenders

BY MATT MILNER Courier staff writer

OTTUMWA — Area law enforcement officials like the fact that legislators are considering changes to the state’s restrictions on where convicted sex offenders can live. Frankly, they don’t think the current law accomplishes much.

The law is commonly called the “2,000-foot law,” and it prohibits the majority of sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools, day care centers and similar sites. But it says nothing about where offenders can go.

In many areas that means sex offenders are effectively banned from living within city limits. Law enforcement has long said that leads to people lying about their residences. That’s important because both Iowa and federal laws require convicted sex offenders to register with law enforcement. If they lie on that registration, it makes it that much more difficult for officers to track the offenders.

All that could change if legislators in Des Moines adopt changes currently being debated. The new restrictions lift the residency limits for most offenders, and institutes new restrictions that bar convicted sex offenders from going to parks, schools, and other locations where children congregate. It could also allow law enforcement more leeway in deciding which offenders should wear tracking bracelets for monitoring.

Wapello County Sheriff Don Kirkendall likes the changes.

“I am in full support,” he said. “I can see it making our job a lot easier.”

Kirkendall said that county law enforcement has handled more sex offenders than it has historically because so many are forced out of cities. That increases the workload for sheriff’s departments.

Appanoose County Sheriff Gary Anderson attended Monday evening’s public hearing at the capital and spoke to legislators in favor of the new changes. He said the proposed law gives officers “better tools” to handle the presence of sex offenders in the community.

“Right now the problem we face is we do not have active, adequate protection for our children. When I run that person and find they are a sex offender, there is nothing I can do,” he said.

Iowa’s online sex offender registry indicates 95 offenders in Wapello County. Kirkendall said a significant number of those have moved away from the area, and estimated there are 50-60 offenders currently in residence in the area.

While the law enforcement community broadly supports the changes, no one is certain whether legislators will vote to enact them.

“I’ve heard both ways,” said Kirkendall.

And some are withholding judgment until the new requirements are enacted. Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark said he likes the intent and believes the new restrictions give his officers better ways to approach situations involving sex offenders. But he cautions there are always unforeseen consequences.

“Everyone thought before that [sex offender legislation] was going to be a help,” he said. “It wasn’t.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com