AUGUSTA (AP) — Augusta city officials are set to consider an ordinance that would ban some sex offenders from living near schools and city parks.
The ordinance, which could be ready for City Council action at their meeting Thursday, would prohibit registered sex offenders who have committed acts against children under the age of 14 from living within 750 feet of public and private schools and any municipal property, including parks, where children tend to gather.
The rules would apply only to sex offenders who move after the ordinance is adopted, so no one will be forced to move.
City officials told the Kennebec Journal that 134 registered sex offenders live in Augusta, giving the city the highest percentage of sex offenders per population of any municipality in Maine.
Report a correction
In order to make comments, you must verify your account.
In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.
Login or create an account here.
Our policy prohibits comments that are:
- Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
- Excessively foul and/or vulgar
- Inappropriately sexual
- Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
- Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
- Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.