|
|
Although McCarthy continued to defend his ordinance restricting where sex offenders can live, he never brought it up for a vote. He pledged after the meeting to bring it up again, however.
Kingston Borough passed an ordinance restricting sex offenders from living within 200 feet of places where children gather on Tuesday, following several other local communities and states that passed similar ordinances. McCarthy has been pushing for an ordinance since last year.
"We are an island amidst all of these people protecting these children," McCarthy said.
Mayor Tom Leighton gave McCarthy a letter at a work session Tuesday from Lauren Taylor, executive director of the sexual offenders assessment board of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, which cites research showing there is no correlation between residency restrictions and reducing sex offenses against children. In fact, ordinances may make children more vulnerable to sexual predators, the letter stated.
According to the letter, 93 percent of sexual abuse victims know their abuser; 34 percent are family members and 59 percent are acquaintances. Forty percent of sexual assaults take place in the victim's own home and 20 percent take place in the home of a friend, neighbor or relative.
Residency restrictions may have the unintended effect of increasing risk and may make supervision and management more difficult, the letter stated.
Wilkes-Barre resident Sam Troy told council Thursday he agrees with Councilman Tony Thomas Jr. that McCarthy's proposed ordinance would not have prevented the alleged sexual assaults of a 13-year-old girl near Heights-Murray Elementary School or a King's College student in or near Kirby Park. He also doubted the ordinance would prevent future sexual assaults.
"In fact, it would cause more harm than good," Troy said.
Troy also asked why council did not investigate the $51,500 commission Leighton's real estate firm collected from a 2006 sale of a North River Street property to Volunteers of America. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ruled Leighton had no conflict of interest from the sale.
"It seems to be a very unscrupulous act," Troy said. "Most people, including myself, can't make that in one year."
Councilman Phil Latinski said Leighton and his family are honest people and no laws were broken. It was strictly a business transaction, he said.
"There was no undermining done or questionable practices," Latinski said. "When you infer that city council should investigate, that's not the job of city council to investigate that. Mr. Leighton proved no underhanded things happened. I really think you owe Mr. Leighton an apology."
Council Chairman Bill Barrett said he would not tolerate anyone making "unsubstantiated, personal, opinionated, slanderous comments about anyone."
In other business, Councilwoman Kathy Kane asked Leighton when the closed Heights firehouse would be appraised.
"Things are flying off the roof," Kane said. "People are interested in buying it and I keep asking when we're going to get an appraisal or when we're going to get a bid."
Leighton said he would make a call about the appraisal on Friday.
dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115.
