New York State Releases Sex Offender Facebook App

Just in time for Halloween, the New York state Division of Criminal Justice Services launched a Facebook application to help families know which houses contain sexual offenders. “Knowledge is power. New Yorkers now have another way to access up-to-date information about sex offenders in their neighborhoods,” DCJS Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne said in a release. “With Halloween around the corner, parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations, as well as strangers’ homes. The Facebook app puts that important information at parents’ fingertips, whether they are at home or on the go.”

Scarlet Letter

[Anonymous Coward]

Might as well have them wear a big ol' S.

Why just sex offenders?

[ccguy]

There's a lot of other crimes that are dangerous to neighbors, why just this one? And no I'm not advocating for all (or none), just asking why this one is singled out.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[pixelpusher220]

Why? So you can move into a house in 5 years and wonder Facebook labels you a sex offender.

But Why?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Why would you avoid sex offenders on Halloween? They always have the best candy!

On a more serious note, while "knowledge is power"; garbage in still means garbage out. "Level 1", "Level 2" and "Level 3" are practically designed to tell you fuck all of actual use. Is a "level 3" forcible rapist with no interest in children more dangerous than a "level 1" pedophile? Well, that sort of depends on who you are, doesn't it? Are sex offenders(those who actually target strangers, rather than the common-but-less-polite-to-discuss trusted adults known to the victim) actually dumb enough to do their re-offending on their own doorsteps, rather than at less obvious locations?

This application seems like a fantastic tool for people afflicted with nebulous anxiety who feel the need to refine that into focused, concrete fear; but it seems magnificently ill-suited to any actual public safety objective...

Politics

[davidwr]

Sex sells.
Fear, uncertainty, and doubt sell.
Providing a "solution" to fear, uncertainty, and doubt sells.

Combine all 3 and it's the politician's re-election trifecta.

Let the lawsuits begin ...

[tomhudson]

What it says

parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations

What it really means

vigilantes now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations, as well as beat the crap out of them and torch their homes, even if it means endangering others at the same location, or targeting the wrong person because the perp moved elsewhere and nobody updated the database.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[Nidi62]

Because most people forget(willingly or not) that most children are kidnapped/molested by family members or people that are familiar to them (close neighbors, family friends, etc). People also forget that "sex offender" covers a lot more than just rape. They could have been 17 and had sex with their 15 year old girlfriend. They could have hired a prostitute. Or they could have simply pissed in the park. "Sex offender" is to the state what "terrorism" is to the federal government. Is it a real problem and a serious concern? Yes. However, it is usually pulled out and used as a boogeyman to scare people, or to make people feel like something has been done when nothing has.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[Anonymous Coward]

They also forget that "sex offender" doesn't just mean pedophile. Large portions of the "sex offender" list, even those not convicted of frivolous offenses, would have no interest in molesting your child.

Status update:

[xiao_haozi]

NYPD just tagged you in a photo.

They should make up their minds.

[wisnoskij]

Are these people safe reformed citizens who should be free intermix with normal people.
Or are the dangerous criminals who should be locked up.

Trick or Treating

[residieu]

Teach your kids Common Sense when they go Trick or Treating. Don't go into the houses of anyone you don't know. Don't trick or treat alone. I seriously doubt any sex offender is going to snatch children out of a pack of Trick or Treaters and drag them into their house to molest them.

Re:Scarlet Letter

[Anonymous Coward]

Reminds me of je Jew star jews in the 3rd Reich had to wear.

Also, why not Wall Street bankers? (Fake golden bling S.)
Every single one of them caused more harm than all sex offenders of New York combined.

The point of jail is, that when one is out, one is officially forgiven!
If you think they shouldn't be forgiven that "early", you should, you know, increase jail time! Duh!
And if you think it's long enough, then forgive them!

But hey, the problem is jail itself. As it does not only do absolutely zero to help those people to change. (Yes, help. They need help. Because there's a reason people become sex offenders. And it's not pretty. Which won't change. No matter how much you hate them.)
No, it even makes things worse.
Those people will only be more mentally fucked-up after jail. Never less!
So they are more likely to do it again. Even (especially?) when they think it changed them.

Which means, that people who just jail sex offenders, instead of actually fixing the cause and the problem, are just as much responsible for them doing it again.
It's like when you get hit in the face, and you don't defend yourself but just lock him him with a pack of wolves. When he comes out of course he's gonna kick your ass even more! And you knew it would happen too!

Re:Varies by state and time

[AlamedaStone]

I wonder how common forced/coerced incest is among 2-child families where the male is 2-10 years older than the female

You know, women can commit sexual assault too... Assuming a sexual aggressor is always male is the same kind of reasoning as the parents who assume a stranger is more likely to kidnap their child. Our society seems to hold less animosity towards female-on-male sexual abuse, but it still happens.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[suomynonAyletamitlU]

In other words, the Court system will happily allow itself to be used to commit a crime, as long as you pretend the issue is sexual.

Thanks Puritanism, you've done wonders for the nation.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[Anonymous Coward]

He said / she said and the real victim is too poor to get a decent lawyer, and you get listed for life. Hurray for social justice in the land of the free, right? Right?

Unusual punishment?

[mangu]

Wouldn't a punishment that's applied only to one form of crime fall under the Eight Amendment? [usconstitution.net]

Re:Unusual punishment?

[Tacvek]

The amendment clearly states "Cruel and Unusual punishment". The sex offenders registry system has long be ruled to not qualify as punishment (which is obviously bullshit). Such new measures would likely get the same treatment.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[wonkavader]

After they're caught, it's very rare for these guys to repeat offend.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sex_offender#Recidivism_rates [wikimedia.org]

Treatment works for these guys. You're far more likely to be molested by someone who's never been caught and thus never gotten treatment. If authorities want to spend money on this with an aim towards helping people, they should make sure that kids know what to do, that parents know what to do, that law enforcement knows what to do, such that the first crime leads to treatment.

But that's not what this game is about. It's not really about protecting the children. It's about scapegoats.

Re:Why just sex offenders?

[sjames]

However, the point stands that a couple in their junior year of high school will have an arbitrary window where they are 'eligible' top be branded for life. The day before that window and the day after, the same activity is just fine from a legal point of view.

Of course, we reach maximum absurdity when a 16 year old sexts and gets charged for child pornography. Naturally, the DA wants to try them as an ADULT. And you thought wave/particle duality was confusing.