Mouth That Roars

Bill Liblick has made a name for himself of National TV Talk Shows where he spouted his outspoken views from the front row. Now he offers you his opinion every week in the "MOUTH THAT ROARS" Column in the Sullivan County Post.

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December 17th, 2010

Sex offenders proudly call sullivan county home

Sullivan County is shockingly becoming home to an alarming number of registered sex offenders. Many of them are coming directly from New York City, and inexcusably our tax dollars are going towards their public assistance.

Even more frightening is the toll they are taking on our local police forces and probation department.

Several weeks ago the Sheriff’s PBA concerned over possible layoffs brought this issue to light.

I am told there are 219 Sex Offenders living in Sullivan County, with 27 residing in the Village of Liberty, 26 in the Village of Monticello, and 25 in Fallsburg. To put this in perspective, the Village of Liberty alone is approximately three square miles.

Local Police Departments are responsible for managing sex offenders. They are required to physically visit them and daily update their information.

The Liberty Police for example has three state certified sex offender managers.

Liberty Police Chief Robert Mir praised his primary Sex Offender Management Officer James Simon. “We consider him to be a model for all other managers. This year he has been responsible for keeping track of approximately 50 sex offenders in the Village. He is also monitoring two sex offenders that are to be released from State Prison next week and will be residing in Liberty.”

The number of resident sex offenders fluctuates weekly, as they move in and out of a jurisdiction or are released from correctional facilities.

Sex offender managers also notify organizations with vulnerable populations. “Liberty Police has always been on top of keeping day care facilities, our schools, and houses of worship, library, and any other locations that might be attractive to deviants abreast of our resident offenders. Keeping potential victims safe is paramount,” Mir said.

Village of Monticello Police Chief Douglas Solomon said he would like to see law enforcement agencies work together. “While registering and reporting requirements are clearly spelled out, communication between the offender, the state and the local police is not always clear or timely. There are too many opportunities available for a sex offender to violate the conditions of their release before a law enforcement agency discovers the violation. I believe we could all do a better job at this.”

Solomon added, “I would certainly advocate for a more collaborative effort amongst the law enforcement agencies. If the responsible individuals from each agency were to meet periodically in order to network and compare notes we could accomplish more. Development of model policies throughout the county regarding registering, reporting and community notification is something I advocate.”

Leni Binder who chairs the legislature’s Public Safety Committee addressing our high sex offender population said, “If someone has “paid” for their crime, we can only restrict the distance from a school and other rules, but cannot forbid the residence in the county. I believe this may be a constitutional issue, but the real insult is that we must also supply benefits and shelter if needed.” What an insult indeed!

To view sex offenders living in your town, visit www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/ on the Internet.

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