City of Peoria, Peoria Police

Peoria police response to exposé unacceptable

11 Comments

I’m with Scott Janz on this one. The WHOI (channel 19) news team recently did an exposé on child sex offenders who were living within 500 feet of Peoria area schools.

In Illinois, it’s illegal for child sex offenders to live within 500 feet of schools. The only exception is if the offender owned the home before the summer of 2000.

WHOI checked public records of sex offenders’ addresses in Peoria, East Peoria, Washington, and even Bloomington to see if they were complying with the law. They didn’t find any violators in Washington. The violations they found in East Peoria and Bloomington were dealt with quickly:

Two hours afters after [East Peoria Police Chief Ed] Papis learned of our findings, he sent out two officers. A man found to be living about 450 feet from an elementary school was put on notice. He now has a month to move.

Bloomington police have given a child sex offender there fourteen days.

Yet, WHOI found seven sex offenders living within 500 feet of District 150 schools. The response they got from the Peoria Police Department? Ho-hum:

“Originally it is the offenders responsibility to find some place to live that is within the legal boundaries, so they have to take some responsibility themselves,” said [Peoria Police Department spokesperson] Ann Ruggles. […]

When asked if the spokeswoman thought the department did enough, she responded: “Yeah, I do. With the personnel that we have at this point, but I don’t know what else basically we could do. I’m sure you’ve told me and I’m sure there are people out there who are in violation.” […]

“We will check those out, but the person, the convicted person should take responsibility, too. If we go out and they are found to be not compliant, then they will have to suffer the consequences,” said Ruggles.

I think we’re all aware that it is each person’s individual responsibility to obey the law, but thanks for reminding us, Ms. Ruggles. As far as your department doing enough “with the personnel that [you] have at this point,” I beg to differ. You have seven sex offenders living within 500 feet of District 150 schools. I submit to you that that fact proves your department is clearly not doing enough.

Martha Hammer is reported as being “the woman over Peoria’s sex offender registration.” So, they’re already telling you their address — how much extra time would it take to type that into the computer and see how close it is to a school? How about taking a couple officers off the seat-belt violation beat and having them work on keeping sex offenders away from children?

It is outrageous for the Peoria Police spokeswoman to shrug her shoulders and say the department is doing all it can. In a city with eight unsolved murders yet this year, this latest scandal further deteriorates our lack of confidence in the Police to enforce public safety. Take a cue from East Peoria and send officers out to address this immediately if you haven’t done so already, and then tell people what action you’ve taken.

11 thoughts on “Peoria police response to exposé unacceptable”

  1. And you wonder why people are moving to East Peoria and Washington, and Morton, and Metamora, and Chillicothe…..???
    And the current mayor of Peoria was elected on an anti-crime platform, as I recall. Maybe guys, it’s time to give up on Peoria? I’m beginning to think it’s hopeless, and I don’t think I’m alone, no matter how many people will respond with vehement denials. In your gut, you know the truth. This episode is just move proof.

  3. There needn’t be more strict laws. There needs to be Education and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. The recidivism rate for Child Molesters is extremely low. Consider too the Fire Arms violations and other crimes that all have much higher recidivism rates for sex offenders. These people with gun violations KILL. Drunk Drivers kill more families and children in a year than there are child molestations being done. You need to educate your society to the truth vs myths of sexual offenders, educate them on how to talk to their children about what is a good touch/bad touch and what to do if someone does or tries to touch where they shouldn’t. Most of all remember that 95% of child molestation occurs by a family member or someone known to the family. Education on Preventing Child Sexual Abuse will do much more good than banishment, harrassment and ostracization. Remember, many times when you are making someone move (which is totally ridiculous), they most likely have children that will be uprooted from school. They aren’t going to be able to find a place to live quickly so they will be homeless, through no fault of their own. The Media and Politicians have pushed this so far that it is extremely hard for a sex offender to find housing and a job. I know of one right now that it has taken him three months and counting! Do what is right for once America. Today, sexual abuse registry, tomorrow another group will lose all their civil rights. Instead of knocking the sex offender down, you should offer friendship and help. A support network is what they need more than anything. It seems to me though that all the towns are trying to take away their support systems and my gut feeling is they are doing it in order to put them back in prison. Irregardless of how much it hurts the children. They keep saying Megans Law is not punishment it is administrative. I beg to differ. Even CA has the word punishment in their new bill.

  4. Betty, I don’t care where most sex offenses take place, nor to I care about hurting a sex offenders feelings. I guess you missed the news stories about letting these people “into thier homes” and thier kids end up dead, molested, and kidnapped. Betty, why don’t you offer them a place to live in your home? When you touch a child, you are sick. End of story. That is the price you pay, as anyone does when they committ a horrific crime. What about my Daughters Civil Rights? The right not to be molested because your guy lives right next door to her school?

  5. I’m not asking for more or stricter laws — I’m asking for enforcement of current laws. The recidivism rate of other felons is a red herring.

    But, for the record, here are the stats on recidivism from the U.S. Dept. of Justice:

    Recidivism

    • Of the 272,111 persons released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within 3 years, 46.9% were reconvicted, and 25.4% resentenced to prison for a new crime.
    • The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 accounted for nearly 4,877,000 arrest charges over their recorded careers.
    • Within 3 years of release, 2.5% of released rapists were rearrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for a new homicide.
    • Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense –– 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of non-sex offenders.
    • Sex offenders were about four times more likely than non-sex offenders to be arrested for another sex crime after their discharge from prison –– 5.3 percent of sex offenders versus 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders.

    Sex offenders

    • On a given day in 1994 there were approximately 234,000 offenders convicted of rape or sexual assault under the care, custody, or control of corrections agencies; nearly 60% of these sex offenders are under conditional supervision in the community.
    • The median age of the victims of imprisoned sexual assaulters was less than 13 years old; the median age of rape victims was about 22 years.
    • An estimated 24% of those serving time for rape and 19% of those serving time for sexual assault had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense for which they were in State prison in 1991.
    • Of the 9,691 male sex offenders released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, 5.3% were rearrested for a new sex crime within 3 years of release.
    • Of released sex offenders who allegedly committed another sex crime, 40% perpetrated the new offense within a year or less from their prison discharge.

    Child victimizers

    • Approximately 4,300 child molesters were released from prisons in 15 States in 1994. An estimated 3.3% of these 4,300 were rearrested for another sex crime against a child within 3 years of release from prison.
    • Among child molesters released from prison in 1994, 60% had been in prison for molesting a child 13 years old or younger.
    • Offenders who had victimized a child were on average 5 years older than the violent offenders who had committed their crimes against adults. Nearly 25% of child victimizers were age 40 or older, but about 10% of the inmates with adult victims fell in that age range.

    So, you’re right — the recidivism rate is pretty low. Nevertheless, I still don’t want them breaking the law by living within 500 feet of a school. If the law is bad, work on changing that. In the meantime, it’s still the law and should be enforced.

  6. In reference to comments by The Mouse, this is from the City of Austin’s Sustainable Community Initiative website:

    What is a Sustainable Community?

    A sustainable community is one whose prospects for long-term health are good. Its residents do not deplete the resources that they depend on faster than those resources are replenished. Specific characteristics include:

    respect for basic rights and recognition of basic responsibilities
    living within ecological carrying capacity
    equal opportunities for individual development
    a diverse economic base
    a vibrant democracy – with an informed, involved citizenry
    protection of natural diversity
    improving the minimum standard of living
    maximizing the use of people’s abilities while minimizing the use of natural resources.

    Sustainable Communities is a concept that started in the late 1980s. I know Caterpillar has a major thrust on the concept and is recognized as a world leader in the field. There are many today who wonder if Peoria is sustainable the way it is going now. Recently a new executive director of a local social service agency purchased his house in Washington. That doesn’t send a very good signal, but is a dose of reality for Peoria. The core of the city is deteriorating rapidly. United Way’s community assessment report from earlier this year says there are 10,000 vacant living units in Peoria. That can’t be good for sustainability.

  7. Sorry, but its just one more issue thats facing Peoria’s fast relocation rate- There are zero in my neighborhood- Hey C.J check out the number of sex offenders close to Bradley-search the city site by zipcode.

  8. Great stats, C. J. When looking at those statistics, remember this – that’s just the ones that get caught! Sexual abuse isn’t called a silent plague for no reason. Most incidents go unreported and unpunished.

  9. Most sex crimes are “crimes of opportunity.” It makes sense then to reduce that opportunity by limiting contact as much as possible. Will this law stop a sexual predator from actively seeking out victims? Of course not. Does it violate “double jeopardy”? Hmmm … maybe. That’s up to the lawyers & judges to decide. I just think it makes good common sense.

  10. Interestingly enough, sex offenders are not allowed to live within 500 feet of any child-care facility. I am related to a sex offender who has been putting his life together over the last 5 years, and he has done everything within his power to follow the laws concerning him. When he called the Peoria Police Department to inquire whether an apartment that he was looking at was within 500 feet of a child-care facility, they told him that it wasn’t their job to look up that information for him. I wonder, then, whose job is it? He was told by his probation officer that it was the responsibility of the local police department.

    No wonder so many sex offenders are living in violation of Illinois state law! The one agency responsible for letting sex offenders know whether they are in violation is passing the buck.

    You can not tell if the current laws regarding sex offenders are effective if the laws aren’t enforced.

  11. Required to register for much lesser crimes of flashing, prostitution, incest, and a host of other offences.

    Grouping all registered sex offenders as dangerous.

    The DOJ in a report states American Politicians and Law Enforcement with the help of victims advocate groups has lied to the public.

    This selfishness is the reason victim’s advocates continue their style of activity.

    To share encourage suffering rather than peace is evil.

    Ask why anyone who wants to bring peace and happiness to earth, would wish their personal pain on the rest of the world forever?

    See how 3 year old children have been placed on the registry and how citizens are held indefinitely after their sentence has been served.

    See it now on You Tube at

    http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=evil9999999999999999

    Webmaster@theevilnextdoor.com

    Fax:818.237.5599

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