Montville bans sex offenders from parks, playgrounds

MONTVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) -- If you're a registered sex offender don't think you can just take a stroll in a park in Montville. The town is banning offenders from certain places after the state opens a sex offender treatment facility in town, despite lots of protest.

Folks in Montville weren't able to stop a 24 bed sex offender treatment facility from opening on the grounds of the Corrigan-Radgowsky Correctional Center, so they are now going to control where all registered sex offenders can and can't go in town.

On Wednesday councilors created senior safe zones, similar to child safe zones established last month.

"What it says is we want to keep our people safe," said Mayor Ronald McDaniel. "Our children and our seniors and we know that there are sexual offenders in the community, but we just don't want them around our children and where our seniors congregate."

"They need to be safe," said Marla Delgado, employed in Montville. "Yes."

The ordinances ban sex offenders from town-owned and leased properties like parks, playgrounds, and ball fields, as well as the senior center and senior buses.

"I like that idea, yeah, cause we do have people that...we have one (pedophile) he comes and sits over there. Ya know and he really shouldn't do that," said Janet Eccleston, of Montville.

Of course the signs do not say no sex offenders allowed, but those who live in town know about these areas. That's because as part of the ordinance the Mayor is also required to contact every offender living within town and give him or her a map showing them where they can and cannot go.

News 8 asked the Mayor, shouldn't those who have served their time have equal access to public places. He says they are welcome to go shopping like everyone else, but "we certainly don't want them lurking around our parks or our senior centers."

"Even if they're just there to enjoy the park," asked News 8's Tina Detelj.

"That's correct," the Mayor said.

Those who violate the safe zones can face fines: $99 for each violation.