Bolinsky Votes to Protect Seniors from Sexual Offenders
HARTFORD- State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106 Newtown) voted to support legislation to further protect senior citizens from sexual offenders.
SB-204, An Act Protecting Senior Citizens from Sexual Offenders received unanimous support in the Aging committee on March 5th.
This bill expands the notifications of the release or relocation of registered sex offenders in the community to senior center directors in the municipality as well as the chief elected officer. The bill also requires the Aging Department to develop an informational campaign to expand best practices to protect senior citizens from sex offenders and report to the legislature its progress.
“We owe it to our most vulnerable citizens, our seniors, to protect them. We should be responsible for using all measures in keeping sexual offenders away from areas where our seniors congregate or reside so that they feel safe,” said Rep. Bolinsky, the head House Republican on the Aging committee.
Last year, the legislature passed a bill which created a task force to study the creation of senior safety zones. The Senior Safety Zone Task Force submitted a report on Jan. 1st with recommendations some of which were included in SB-204.
According to the state Commission on Aging, in Connecticut, between the years 2009-2013, there were 57 reports of sexual assaults of victims over the age of 60.