City Outlaws Sex Offenders

(Des Moines, Iowa) Sex offenders are being forced to the suburbs of Des Moines after the local government banned them from living in the city.

From DesMoinesRegister.com:

The Des Moines City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that adds parks, swimming pools, libraries and recreational trails to the state law that bans convicted pedophiles from living within 2,000 feet of schools and licensed child-care centers.

The ordinance essentially eliminated places for people to live in Des Moines if they have been convicted of a sex offense with a minor.

Although opposition to the new law has been muted, some believe it goes too far. Nonetheless, other cities have expressed interest in banning sex offenders and are watching the Des Moines experience closely. Enforcement of the Des Moines ordinance will begin this month.

My take is that there likely will be some court challenges to the law on the basis that civil rights are denied or that it's unfair to treat all sex offenders the same. However, the new law has to be considered a move in the right direction if, for no other reason, it creates a high level of public awareness of the issue of child sex crimes.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.