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Politics & Government

Batavia City Committee Talks Tougher Sex Offender Policy

At Wednesday's City Services Committee meeting, members discussed establishing an ordinance to create a larger distance between schools and sex offenders. They will continue to discuss this issue at their Aug. 2 meeting.

A city committee on Wednesday began to tackle an issue of deep concern to Batavia parents and their neighbors.

The City Services Committee discussed adopting a stricter policy to keep sex offenders further away from schools than mandated by the state of Illinois. A parent of Batavia led the city to look into adopting a stricter policy. For more about this family's concerns, click .

The city can create an ordinance tougher than the Illinois sex offender statute, said City Attorney Kevin Drendel at the meeting. The Illinois sex offender statute requires an offender to live 500 ft. or more away from schools.

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To develop an ordinance, the city needs to examine where the sex offenders live in the city in relation to the schools rather than developing some arbitrary standard, Drendel said on Wednesday.

Alderman Victor Dietz urged the committee to be cautious in developing this ordinance.

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“I’m very anxious that we not adopt our own vigilante (rules), that we not attempt to pile on corporal punishment on top of communications already rendered by the courts of the state,” Dietz said.

Drendel agreed with Dietz. The city must be careful not to overstep their boundaries by forcing sex offender property owners to move off their land after the creation of a stricter ordinance. But the city may be able to force sex offenders who are just occupying or leasing the land off the property if they developed an ordinance requiring them to be further away from schools, Drendel said.

Lengthening the distance between schools and sex offenders isn’t the only way to prevent harming children. Dietz pointed out the city’s best defense is the Batavia Police Department, which keeps tabs on every sex offender in town.

The committee will further discuss this issue at their next meeting Aug. 2 when Batavia Police Chief Gary Schira is available, City Administrator Bill McGrath said.

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