89% of sex offenders in Milwaukee Co. live in the city; What can be done about this?

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee aldermen say they're tired of being the dumping ground for sex offenders. They held a meeting on Thursday, June 12th to discuss a proposed ordinance that would change the rules regarding the placement of sex offenders in the city.

Thursday's meeting was a committee hearing on residency restrictions for designated sex offenders.

89 percent of the registered sex offenders in Milwaukee County live in the city of Milwaukee. All agree that's not right, but there's less agreement on what to do about it.

Registered sex offenders who must return to Milwaukee County when they are released total 2,399. 2,138, or 89 percent come to the city of Milwaukee.

The reason: All other municipalities except five have ordinances restricting where sex offenders can reside.

"There`s no restrictions whatsoever in Milwaukee right now. You can live right next door to a playground, daycare center, any place where kids congregate and that`s not right," Alderman Tony Zielinski said.

Outlying communities restrict sex offenders from living between 500 and 2,000 feet from such areas, including schools and parks.

In 2007, when Milwaukee proposed a similar ordinance, Common Council President Michael Murphy said the Department of Corrections said don't do it -- because it would send sex offenders underground.

"The city listened to that advice and chose not to pursue that legislation at that time. Now our suburban counterparts have not taken that advice," Murphy said.

The proposed restrictions in Milwaukee are once again on the table, but they would limit future sex offenders to very few areas.

"47% would be in my district and the 11%, two southside districts. We would have 46% of all the housing according to this ordinance," Alderman Terry Witkowski said.

"If you look at every one of those communities, there are certain sections where these people can live. You have to have some place where they can live. If he doesn`t like the breakdown, that`s his preference," Alderman Zielinski said.

Freddie Smith, who works for a company that monitors sex offenders and the police fear the residency restrictions would cause problems.

"I think it will cause some of the offenders to then think 'oh, I can`t go back home. I`m gonna give them a false address' -- open up those avenues, and we definitely don`t want that," Smith said.

Everyone agreed the state needs to get involved and provide a plan for all communities that's fair.

The Department of Corrections was invited to the hearing, but said there was a scheduling conflict.

Meanwhile, Murphy has contacted the Governor's Office for help -- and he says he has yet to get a response.