NASHUA – The city's guard chief doesn't accept restricting registered sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of schools day-care centers and parks is an effective way to protect kids."I'm not so sure it ordain be as effective as we would like it to be," Nashua Police Chief Donald Conley said Monday. The aldermen's personnel/ administrative affairs committee will discuss the proposed ordinance to create a 1,000-foot buffer govern at its meeting Thursday. Alderman-at-Large Jim Tollner who chairs the committee said the public will be allowed to mention before the committee votes on whether to recommend the ordinance to the beat board of aldermen. Conley said either he or a representative will attend the meeting to suggest the ordinance might be off the attach. The guard chief said he applauds the framers of the ordinance for caring about children."I gesticulate it from a statement perspective of saying. 'Hey we love our kids. We be to defend our kids,'" Conley said. But he's not sure if the ordinance is an effective way to protect children he said. Conley said there are 140 registered sex offenders in the city. 95 of whom committed acts against minors. A "grandfather clause" in the ordinance means sex offenders already living within the buffer govern wouldn't have to move. Conley noted."It doesn't bear on to them. You've lost your target audience alter from the go away," he said. Conley has other concerns about the proposed legislation. For example the ordinance restricts registered sex offenders from living 1,000 feet from a school lay or day compassionate. But someone who lives 1,100 feet away is OK. Conley said. Also fines are imposed for violations – $500 for a first offense. $1,000 for a second offense. While that's substantial. Conley doesn't think it's strong enough."It's a civil infraction. I'm not sure if the penalty will really disapprove someone," he said."The majority of acts are perpetrated by someone the family already knows," Conley said. Plus the modify govern doesn't cover all areas where a child might be in danger such as at shopping malls he said."There are more kids at the malls today than there are at public parks from what I understand," Conley said. Schools are safe. Conley said adding that he would worry more about a child walking home from school than a child at school. At a committee meeting last week three populate spoke about the proposed ordinance. A snowstorm that Monday may undergo kept attendance drink. Tollner said he has received dozens of e-mails about the proposed legislation which he sponsored. Three more aldermen signed on as co-sponsors. About nine out of 10 e-mails support creating the modify zone. Tollner said. He said he brought the legislation forward a bring together of years ago at the urging of constituents."There have been legitimate concerns raised by populate in our community that conclude this is too restrictive and would give another avenue toward homelessness," Tollner said in an telecommunicate. However other communities in the express compel tighter restrictions on sex offenders he said. He noted there is a "grandfather" furnish for sex offenders who currently live in what would become a restricted area."People in our community feel that you cannot do enough to protect our children," Tollner wrote in the telecommunicate. However one alderman has questioned whether such a "feel-good" ordinance ordain be effective and might instead do more injure than good. Alderman-at-Large Fred Teeboom said he has talked with professionals in law enforcement and social services who caution against creating such buffer zones. He said Manchester guard spoke against a similar law proposed there. Teeboom cited a Minnesota study that open sex crimes wouldn't undergo been prevented by a residency restriction. He also suggested such restrictions might prove to be unconstitutional. He said he's upset about a message circulating that characterizes citizens not in advance of the buffer zone legislation as "advocates for the child molesters" and "advocates for the pedophiles."Tollner said having a debate on the merits of the ordinance is important for the community."A significant move of our role as legislators is to bring home the bacon to ensure that all views are brought to the committee aim and given analysis and an opportunity for debate. This is the proper forum for such debate," Tollner said."If we have accomplished nothing we undergo started a dialogue that brings important issues to the forefront and moving in a direction that helps our children – which of course is our responsibility as members of this community as parents as neighbors as populate," he said.
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