Kansas sex offender laws lack teeth

We recently discovered that a convicted child molester has moved from California to across the street from our elementary school in Olathe. He is also yards away from Indian Creek Trail and a park. While investigating our options to get this person away from our school, we found out that Kansas does not have any laws against offenders that limit their access to schools or parks.

Kansas forbids local governments from placing their own ordinances against where offenders can live. Writing letters to government officials has revealed that a few years ago a bill was drafted, but it was defeated by the previous governor and law enforcement agencies. Their reason was that Kansas has so many parks and schools it would push offenders to the outskirts of town.

If most other states can pass legislation, so can Kansas. Our neighborhood has started a letter writing campaign to get Kansas’ law changed.

The lack of a law such as this affects every Kansan and could entice offenders to move to our state because our children are easy prey. We all need to write legislators and implore them to pass a law to protect Kansas children.

Source: Kansas City Star http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/03/2061167/letters-sunday-july-4.html