Program aims to protect residents from sexual offenders
By Maria Lindsay
SUMMIT COUNTY — According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, there are almost 675 registered sex offenders living in Summit County.
About 80 percent of all residents have at least one of these sex offenders living within 1 mile of their home. Other statistics show 50 percent of all sex offenders re-offend and more than half of all sexual assaults happen within a 1-mile radius of the victim’s home, according to the sheriff’s office.
In an effort to reduce the problems
and in response to growing
public concern about sex offenders living in neighborhoods
with children nearby, several organizations worked to
create a program aimed at arming area residents with
information that may better protect both young and old.
The Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties
and the Sex Offender Management Committee, a subcommittee
of the Criminal Justice
Advisory Board, collaborated to develop “Portrait
of a Predator,” a 45-minute Power Point presentation
available to community groups such as school boards,
parent-teacher associations, service organizations and
local governments.
“Portrait of a Predator”
contains information about facts and myths related to
sexual assault, sex offender
registration and modification laws, and tips on how
to prevent sexual assault. It includes information on
the 10 different classifications of sex offenders, their
rights and also provides information on how to access
more data on the subject.
The program also outlines the
services available to help
victims of sexual assault.
“The program aims to reach
out to the community to reform sexual offender management,”
said Candice Poole, who is in charge of outreach and
education at the Rape Crisis Center.
Poole explained the program is
designed to answer the many questions raised by concerned
residents who receive notification
of a sex offender moving into their neighborhood. The
ultimate goal of the program is to provide community
members with information that will keep families and
communities safe, according to Poole.
The program is a result of a
grant awarded to the Public Safety and Justice Division
of the Summit County Executive’s Office
from the U.S. Department of Justice
to create a Sex Offender Management Comprehensive Plan,
which was intended to “promote public safety and
reduce sexual victimization,” according to Tom
Talbot, senior manager of the Center for Effective Public
Policy and Center of Sex Offender Management.
“Portrait of a Predator”
has already been presented at Akron Public School’s
Buchtel High School and to the Magic City Kiwanis, and
a presentation is scheduled for Legacy Three, ACCESS
Women’s Shelter and the Tallmadge City Council,
according to Poole.
Community groups interested in
scheduling a presentation may contact Poole at (330)
374-0740, ext. 41, or via e-mail at CandiceP@scmcb
ws.org.
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