Weymouth bylaw restricts where sex offenders may live

Level 3 sex offenders - those deemed most likely to reoffend - are banned from living within 1,500 feet of any school, playground, day-care center, park, or recreational facility in Weymouth.

The Town Council approved the restriction last week. The new rule doesn't apply to the half-dozen Level 3 offenders already living in town, unless they move from their current residence, according to Councilor Kevin Whitaker, who chairs the committee that wrote the ordinance.

Whitaker said the original proposal restricted nearly the entire town, but the compromise leaves small, scattered locations where the offenders can live. Those in violation would get 30 days to move and then face fines of $150 for the first day and $300 for every day after, he said.

"There's been a movement . . . to enact these type of ordinances to protect the public and create awareness of areas that children frequent," Whitaker said. "It's simply a public safety measure." Eight councilors, including Whitaker, voted for the measure, with two abstaining and one absent.

JOHANNA SELTZ