Senator Turner Introduces Legislation to Increase Oversight of Sex Offenders

COLUMBUS – Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) introduced legislation (Senate bill 217) today in the Ohio Senate to increase oversight of Tier III sex offenders. This bill would help law enforcement agencies better monitor serious sex offenders while also raising community awareness of their presence in the community. Under Ohio law, Tier III is the most serious category for sex offenders.

“The Imperial Avenue Slayings on Cleveland’s East Side are a gruesome reminder of the many cracks that still exist within the system of monitoring the sexual predators who reside in our communities,” said Senator Turner. “Unfortunately, criminals are able to manipulate these cracks every day. Under the current system a Tier III sex offender can fulfill their monitoring requirements and still remain largely off the radar.”

The proposed legislation has five key elements that will apply to sex offenders within the State of Ohio, regardless of when they were originally registered. These mandates are as follows:

• Will increase the frequency of address verification by Tier III offenders from every 90 days to every 30 days.

• Requires law enforcement personnel to confirm the addresses of Tier III offenders every 90 days through face-to-face personal contact at the offender’s place of residence and track the outcomes of such visits.

• Upon initial registration as a Tier III sex offender, law enforcement personnel must confirm this person’s address through personal contact at the offender’s place of residence.

• Institute mandatory community notification of the presence of a Tier III offender once per year, on the anniversary date of their original address registration.

• For all sex offenders, address verification and registration would require demonstration of proof of residency, the same as is found in Ohio Election Law.
  

“The tragedy on Imperial Avenue makes it incumbent on state and local elected officials and community stakeholders to work together to make our communities safer,” said Senator Turner. “This bill is one step toward that goal.”