Yarmouth referendum Question 1 is a misguided effort to install a bad solution for a problem Yarmouth doesn’t have. It would prevent certain registered sex offenders from living within 750 feet of Yarmouth schools. It may appear at first glance to be a common-sense law. I mean, who wants sex offenders living near schools? The issue is not that simple.
More than nine of every 10 child sexual abuse victims know their abuser. There is no evidence that restricting sex offenders from living near school zones does anything to reduce sex crimes against kids. In fact, the unintended consequence of such an ordinance may be to push offenders into areas where they cannot be easily observed or to shut them off from the support networks they need in order to rehabilitate and reintegrate into the community. I urge all Yarmouth voters to learn the facts. Once they do, I believe they will join me in voting against Question 1.
David Craig
Yarmouth
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