GIS Crucial to Milwaukee Sex Offender Legislation

GIS isn't just useful, it is an absolutely essential for Milwaukee to decide whether proposed sex offender legislation will do more harm than good.

Seems simple enough:

Convicted sex offenders could see a city-drawn map of every school, day-care, playground and park in Milwaukee, under a proposed ordinance that would restrict where those offenders could live after they're released. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 9/27/2007

But Milwaukee Alderman are concerned the devil is in the details:

[The] legislation that would prohibit anyone convicted of a sex offense involving children or violence from moving to a new home within 2,000 feet of any school, day care center, park or playground after they are released from prison ... But a similar statewide law in Iowa resulted in many offenders dropping off the state-mandated registry because it was too hard for them to comply with the residency limits ... The same thing could happen here, because Milwaukee has so many schools, day care centers, parks and playgrounds that it would be difficult to find many places in the city where offenders could live, said ... the [Corrections] department's assistant regional chief for Milwaukee County. If the offenders drop off the registry, they'll be more dangerous because they thrive on anonymity, and probation and parole agents can't help them readjust to the community, said ... [the] sex offender registry specialist for the department. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Newswatch 6/28/07

So what do lawmakers do? Make a map, and see the impact:

Ald. Terry Witkowski voiced concern that the ordinance could concentrate sex offenders in a few neighborhoods. At his urging, the panel delayed action on the measure until council staffers can draw up a map showing the impact of the restrictions.

The only way this can be done in any reasonable timeframe is through the use of GIS technology. The map drawn up by "staffers" will need to be very well thought out and detailed.

As we all know, GIS professional are consistently asked to gather information and perform analysis that is essential to effective decision making. Here it is "in action".