Residents in the City of Buffalo are now calling for better notification about where registered sex offenders are located.
The group, which was made up of community activists, upset residents, and victims of childhood sexual abuse, gathered at the intersection of Bailey and Walden Avenues; a neighborhood that has dozens of registered sex offenders within less than a mile of a school, playground, and day cares.
While New York State provides a lot of information online, upset residents say not everyone has access to a computer and want the city to provide other forms of notification.
"So that we would know when these sex offenders are being released, where they are being housed, and who they are," said Keyon Lee, a community activist and an author who wrote a book about child sexual abuse.
"We are putting them on notice that we want them to do what they should do to protect our community," said another community activist, Bryon McIntyre.
The Buffalo Common Council is also calling for an investigation to see if there is a better way to handle notification.
"You have immigrants coming in who may not have internet connections, or may not read English, and we want to ensure that those neighborhoods are properly notified." said Rev. Darius Pridgen, president of the Buffalo Common Council.
Currently, the city provides links to the state online sex offender registry through the Buffalo Police and Buffalo Schools websites.
A spokesperson for the Buffalo Schools said parents are encouraged to check the NYS Sex Offender Registry and report any suspicious encounters to police or school officials.
If you are interested in tracking sex offenders near you, the following links can help:
http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor/
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