The Bottom Line: Milwaukee sex offenders living dangerously close

MILWAUKEE-- Last month notorious sex offender Shawn Schulpius was released into a neighborhood with a school, and you asked CBS 58 to investigate how this is possible.

The law says sex offenders in Milwaukee can live wherever they want. In fact, Alderman Tony Zielinski tells us the city does not have the 2,000 feet rule restricting predators from schools and parks like most other communities. In this CBS 58 Bottom Line Investigation, we found offenders living  next to schools and parks all over the city.

Uncomfortably close, CBS 58 found at least 50 convicted pedophiles living where your children play and learn. We found one offender registered to a home close enough to see kids at the Urban Day School. We also found a predator living across from Lloyd Street Elementary where kids walk to and from school. Parents at Humboldt Park seem oblivious to a pedophile living at the property line. All of the parents we met had no idea that the City of Milwaukee had no restrictions on where sex offenders can live.

Jason Gorski, a father had this request for lawmakers, \"Put restrictions on that, and have certain areas where they can live. Obviously not close to a school or playground.\"

It may be obvious to this parent but in 2007 records show the city commission voted down a proposal to require sex offenders to live 2,000 feet from schools, parks, and daycare centers and we wanted to know why.

\"They can live anyplace in the City of Milwaukee,\" Alderman Tony Zielinski told us as we caught up with him outside a school in his district.

Alderman Zielinski introduced the ordinance to restrict sex offenders and is still angry it flopped.

\"The council voted it down, the argument was where there weren't schools and playgrounds they'd be overly concentrated in those parts of the city.\"

This year Zielinski's district is seeing the effects first hand after notorious child predator Shawn Schulpius was released into district 14 infuriating parents and teachers in the district.

CBS 58 contacted state lawmaker Evan Goyke, and showed him what we found, including the offender living near the Urban Day School.

Goyke was surprised saying, \"It's (the school), is connected with my church, I'm shocked to find this out.\"

We then asked representative Goyke to take action.

Goyke says, \"I'm very willing to work on this, a sex offender shouldn't be in front of a playground.\"

We asked him if we could follow up in six months, and if a law would be introduced, he gave us his verbal commitment saying, \"Absolutely.\"

The ultimate hope for parents is for a law to be passed to keep the innocent, just that.

CBS 58 plans to keep up with lawmakers to make sure your children are protected. As for surrounding communities most have a law on the books. To the west, the City of Waukesha requires offenders to live 750 feet from schools and parks. South Milwaukee's ordinance requires offenders to live 1,000 feet away. As for Shorewood, they also don't have an ordinance on the books.