Sex Offender Residency to be Discussed by Waukesha Committee

A potential ordinance that would limit the Wisconsin Department of Corrections from placing registered sex offenders in Waukesha following their release from prison unless they were a Waukesha resident at the time of their offense will be discussed at the Ordinance & License Committee at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

The DOC currently returns sex offenders to the county where they commit their offense. Since Waukesha is the county seat, registered sex offenders are frequently placed in Waukesha.

“This is something that I always thought was outrageous from the beginning,” said Alderman Steve Johnson, who is bringing the request forward.

Because the city has direct access to the county services, Johnson said the community receives a disproportional share of registered sex offenders released back into the city.

“We have landlords that are actively looking for them to come back because it is a guaranteed rental,” Johnson said.

Delafield recently passed an ordinance that prohibits sex offenders who are being released from prison being placed in the community unless they were living in the community at the time of their crime, Johnson said.

Still, the DOC might push back on the ordinance, which Johnson said is fine. He would like the DOC to stand in front of the community and explain why they are returning more sex offenders to Waukesha than other places.

“Let them justify that to us,” Johnson said.