Town Legislation to Protect Children From Sex Offenders

Assemblyman Greg Ball (R-Paterson) officially announced today legislation that will bring Child Safety Zones to Yorktown, by barring sex offenders from living or working near places where children go to school, live or frequent.

Ball has been working closely with town councilmen Nick Bianco and Terrence Murphy, who were by his side when he made the announcement at Town Hall.

"This has nothing to do with politics," Murphy said. "This has everything to do with the safety of our children."

Bianco said the Town Board will discuss the proposed legislation and will hold a public hearing with residents in town.

"Children of Putnam County have protections from sexual predators that Northern Westchester children don't have," Ball said.

In May, Assemblyman Ball called a Public Meeting of the Minority Sex Offender Watch Task Force to discuss Child Safety Zones in town. He wants to bring the same protective measures to Yorktown and Northern Westchester that legislators in Putnam County have enacted.

Yorktown is the first town in Westchester to work on the legislation. There are currently no Level 2 or Level 3 sex offenders in town, and Murphy said they would like to keep it that way.

According to the proposed legislation, people who have been classified as a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender would be prohibited from living, working, entering facilities, or being within 1,000 feet of places that would provide them with easy access to potential victims.

"The town of Yorktown Town Board finds and determines that […] there exists a heightened potential for reoccurrence of their crimes when they reside, have employment of frequent areas where children are likely to regularly congregate," the legislation reads.

Such places include schools, child-care facilities, parks, playgrounds, public or private youth centers or public swimming pools.