PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

 AUGUST 10, 2006

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 6:44 p.m.

Adjourned: 8:00 p.m.

 

Present were:      Chairperson Councilor Joseph M. Petty

                             Councilor Philip P. Palmieri

                             Councilor Barbara G. Haller

 

Also: Police Chief Gary J. Gemme

          WPD William P. O’Connor

          Assistant City Solicitor John F. O’Day

          City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

COMMUNICATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

 

1.       Relative to the accuracy of the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Level 3 sex offenders.

          #19C CM April 26, 2005

Recommend Hold

 

2.       Request review and adoption of an order to file a Home Rule Petition with the Great and General Court to amend the Dover Amendment in order to restrict the siting of facilities and programs that service Level II and Level III Sex Offenders.

          #11A CM June 20, 2006

Recommend Hold

 

Speakers:

1.     Deborah Ekstrom, 85 William Street, Worcester

2.     William Breault, 4 Hathaway Street, Worcester

3.     Ronal Madnick, 12 Pine Tree Drive, Worcester

4.     Chris Smith, 734 Pleasant Street, Worcester

5.     Jeff Stovall, 11 Westland Street, Worcester

6.     Calvin Bradshaw, 17 King Street, Worcester

 

Chairman’s Orders:

1.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with copies of any local ordinances or bylaws enacted by any Massachusetts community that regulates the siting of facilities and/or programs that service Level II or Level III sex offenders.

2.     Request the City Manager to report to the City Council the number of Level II and Level III sex offenders who are in treatment programs as a percentage of the total number residing in the City of Worcester.

3.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a listing of the treatment programs for Level II and Level III sex offenders that are located within the City of Worcester.

4.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a description of the extent and type of information that is available to the City of Worcester concerning Level II and Level III sex offenders who either live or work in the City of Worcester.

5.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a city-wide map that would reveal those areas of the City that would remain available for siting of facilities and/or programs for Level II and Level III sex offenders if the proposed Home Rule legislation pending before the Standing Committee on Public Safety was enacted.

6.     Request the City Solicitor provide the City Council with revised language to the proposed Home Rule Legislation concerning Level II and Level III sex offenders that provides for mandatory audit reporting to the local police department.

7.     Request the City Solicitor provide the City Council with revised language to the proposed Home Rule legislation concerning Level II and Level III sex offenders that provides for mandatory audit reporting to the local police department.

8.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with an opinion of the City Solicitor whether or not existing facilities/programs that service Level II and Level III sex offenders would be grandfathered if proposed Home Rule legislation pending before the Standing Committee on Public Safety was enacted.

9.     Request the City Manager to encourage Probation Department staff from District, Superior and Juvenile Courts participate in the future discussions concerning the regulation of siting of programs for Level II and Level III sex offenders so as to identify the location of program sites across the City.

10.   Request the City Solicitor to report to the City Council how the proposed Home Rule legislation concerning the siting of facilities/programs for Level II and Level III sex offenders might be strengthened to disallow these individuals from living within certain areas of the City of Worcester.