Senator Brian A. Joyce has filed legislation that would increase community notification of sex offenders. Currently, it is a frightening but all-too-real possibility that that a convicted child sex offender could move in next store to you without your knowledge. "An Act Relative to Police Notification to Certain Neighbors of Level 2 Sex Offenders" will inform property owners if a level 2 sex offender moves into an adjacent property. 

Federal law requires that all states register sex offenders against children but leaves it up to the states to determine how that information is communicated. In Massachusetts, sex offenders are divided into three classes based on the individual’s risk of re-offense, level 1 being low risk and level 3 being high risk. No information is made available to the public for level 1 offenders, and information for level 2 offenders is difficult to obtain. Photos, addresses, and other information are available online, however, for level 3 sex offenders. 

“Arizona already does this. It is time that we take this step to provide for the safety of our children,” said Senator Joyce, who decided to file the bill after he was contacted by a constituent with two small children who found out through word of mouth that her neighbor was a sex offender (convicted of three offenses of statutory rape on a child under 16). 

As classification of sex offenders is based on a wide variety of factors, a level 2 sex offender may have committed the same crime as a level 3 sex offender but had different circumstances surrounding his case. This bill will allow neighbors to better protect their children against the dangers of sex crimes. 

Co-sponsors of the bill include Senator Brown, Senator Hedlund, Rep. Vallee, Rep. Canavan, Rep. Golden, Rep. Petersen, Rep. Hargraves, Rep. Wallace, and Rep. Reinstein