09/22/2011
By Deborah Allard
SWANSEA - A new sex offender bylaw will likely be one article voters will decide upon at the upcoming Special Town Meeting to be held in November or early December.
Town Administrator James Kern said a date has not yet been set.
The sex offender bylaw, proposed by School Committee Vice Chairman Christopher R. Carreiro, will be a first for the town.
“It’s a simple bylaw that says level 2 or 3 sex offenders cannot live within 500 feet of a school, park or the Town Beach,” Carreiro said.
Carreiro said most people he’s spoken with in town assumed there was already a bylaw in effect. But, cities and towns must enact such bylaws on their own. Massachusetts law does require sex offenders to register their address, which is entered into a database and available as public record.
“People were so surprised there wasn’t something in place,” Carreiro said.
There are sex offender bylaws in neighboring towns and cities, including Somerset which enacted its own bylaw in 2008.
Level 2 and 3 sex offenders are given those particular designations by state law to make the community aware of the offenders’ level of dangerousness and likelihood of re-offense. A level 3 offender poses the highest risk of re-offending.
Carreiro said that through his own research, he discovered there are 19 level 2 sex offenders and two level 3 sex offenders living in Swansea.
Carreiro said the new bylaw will aid police and residents in protecting children and others in town.
“I think it’s another tool,” Carreiro said. “It’s not the only solution, but it gives police officers the ability to do something about it.”
Locations included in the bylaw are the Swansea School Administration Building, all four elementary schools, Joseph Case Junior High School and Joseph Case High School. Also included is the Swansea Town Beach, Swansea Boat Ramp, Nike Site Playing Complex, Little League baseball fields, basketball hoops, playground and tennis courts, recreational facilities, and the Swansea Public Library.
Carreiro worked with Police Chief George Arruda, Superintendent Christine Stanton, Town Administrator James Kern, Town Planner Steve Antinelli,and School Committee member Eric Graham on drafting the new bylaw.
