Thursday, December 3, 2009

Oviedo Sexual Predators/Offenders

The City of Oviedo’s stricter ordinances on sexual offenders and predators has caused the city to have fewer offenders and predators than nearby cities.
According to the city’s website, the city of Oviedo has six sexual predators and offenders living within the city limits.
According to Corporal K. Pamatian, a Casselberry police officer, nearby Casselberry has 19 sexual predators and offenders within its 23, 182 population.
Winter Springs has 16 sexual predators and offenders within its 34,621 population.
“Our policy is little stricter than the state policy,” Oviedo Police Officer Justin Varkony, the officer in charge of the check on sexual offenders and predators, said.
Nearby cities Winter Springs and Casselberry go by the county’s policy, which is the state’s policy, for sexual predators and offenders within their city limits.
According to the code of ordinance, a sexual offender cannot be within 2500 ft. of any location within the city limits where children congregate such as: schools, house of worship, parks or public libraries.
According to Seminole County’s Police Department website, the county’s restriction is 1,000 ft.
Only one sexual offender lives closer than 2500 ft. to a school; however, the offender lived there before the ordinance was adopted.
Another policy that makes the city’s ordinance stricter is that Varkony checks on the offenders once a month.
The county’s policy is to check on the offender once a quarter.
According to Varkony, there has been no backlash against sexual predators and offenders within the community.

Graph Oviedo vs .Winter Springs vs. Casselberry