Village of Owego May Add Restrictions to Sex Offenders

The Village of Owego could be looking to restrict where registered sex offenders can live in the village. Ward 2 Trustee Earl Hartman and former mayor John Loftus are looking for a law that prevent sex offenders from living within certain distances that could result in children being harmed. The proposed residency restriction law for sex offenders would be used on offenders a judge deemed to have a medium or high risk of re-offending. Less than 20 of these sex offenders are currently in the village. Locations that the law would forbid sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of would include bus stops, libraries, day care facilities, and parks. Sex offenders already living in the restricted zone would be “grandfathered” in under the current plan, but the law could forbid them from renewing a lease with their current place of residence, if that was the case. The proposed law could be brought to a Board of Trustees vote as early as June, but it will likely take longer.