Chief’s Corner
By Chief Steven J. Wojnar Dudley Police Department I receive questions from time to time pertaining to sex offenders. Some sources of confusion are the classification levels of 1, 2, or 3 offenders. I was asked to provide some further information about this and how this status is determined. Sex offenders’ regulations are contained in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6. In general, a person must be convicted of a crime which meets certain criteria. The matter is then forwarded to the Sex Offender Registry Board for a “classification” hearing on the individual. These classifications are rated on a system which is based on a “risk to re-offend.” Those determined to have a low risk of re-offending are classified as a Level 1. Those with a moderate risk are classified as Level 2’s, and individuals determined to have the highest risk of re-offending are given a Level 3 designation. A great deal of the information for most of these offenders is available to the public. Only the information on Level 1 offenders is not available for public dissemination. People can request this information through the Sex Offender Registry Board or the local police departments. It is important to note the information obtained about sex offenders cannot be used to commit crimes against those individuals. Section 178N of Chapter 6 states, “Information contained in the sex offender registry shall not be used to commit a crime against a sex offender or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassment of an offender.” Penalties include, “not more than two and one-half years in a house of correction or a fine of not more than $1,000 or by both such fine and imprisonment.” More information, including locating offenders in your area, can be found at https://www.mass.gov/orgs/sex-offender-registry-board . The purpose behind this public notification system is to enhance awareness of the presence of these individuals in a particular neighborhood. The system is by no means perfect, however; it is far better than anything we had in place years ago. This information is another tool for people, in particular parents, to use in their overall safety and protection plans. |
As the pandemic continues, we ask everyone to stay safe and continue to take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves. For those eligible, vaccination information can find it at www.dudleyma.gov or by calling 508-949-8036. We continue to serve the people of Dudley and work with the community to improve the quality of life for everyone. I thank the men and women from my department for their continued dedicated service to the Town during these trying times. Thanks also go out to the many Police Officers, Fire and Emergency Services members, public works, health care, government officials, and all other “essential” personnel for their continued hard work and service. We greatly appreciate the support we receive from our community.
Thanks again for your questions and comments. Please send them to me at the Dudley Police Department 71 West Main St., Dudley, Ma. 01571 or email at swojnar@dudleypolice.com. Opinions expressed in this weekly column are those of Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted, do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any other organization or citizen. |
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