New sex offenders residency restrictions

MILWAUKEE -- Monday night Mayor Tom Barrett signed off on a new sex offender ordinance for Milwaukee.

Sex offenders can't live within 2,000 feet of any playgrounds, schools or day cares in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee is now the 15th municipality, out of the 19 in the county, to have residency restrictions for sex offenders.

\"The stakes are high here, but we also understand the stakes are high if you're a mother of a 5 year-old or an 8 year-old and a sex offender who never had anything to do with this community is now placed in your neighborhood. We are asking that the state of Wisconsin

address this very serious state issue. This is not a local issue, this is a state issue and the state of Wisconsin needs to address it,\" said Mayor Tom Barrett.

State Representative Joel Kleefish said he tried. He said two sessions ago he introduced legislation that is exactly what Mayor Barrett is asking for.

\"I was the author of a bill that had requirements for placement of sex offenders that city of Milwaukee legislatures killed, saying they were against it that there would be no place to put sex offenders. Boy, have the done an about-face. I'm thrilled to know now we are going to have the leadership in the city of Milwaukee supporting a state universal code as to where sex-offenders can live,\"said Kleefish.