Pervs In Riker’s Skew Local Offender Registry

Over sixty sex offenders, who were listed as living in the 11370 zip code of East Elmhurst, will be listed as “Incarcerated” after Queens residents panicked over the number of perverts in their neighborhood. The state’s Division of Criminal Justice is also working on a method to clearly show which of the sex offenders listed are currently in jail across the state.
A number of parents called Rose Marie Proveromo, president of the United Community Civic Association, because they did not see any indication that those on the list were, in fact, in Riker’s Island. Proveromo in turn called Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who brought the issue to the State’s Division of Criminal Justice.
In March, Gianaris sent a letter to the Registry, requesting that sex offenders in prison be reclassified.
“Riker’s Island prison is physically located in zip code 11370. As a result, when a resident searches for sex offenders residing in 11370, the entire sex-offending prison population of Riker’s Island is listed, unnecessarily alarming local residents seeking information regarding the actual number of sex offenders residing in our community,” Gianaris wrote.
“[Queens residents] should be able to go to the listing and know right away that the person is in Riker’s or lives in the neighborhood,” Gianaris said, adding that he hoped an introduction notation would pop up to let viewers know that some sex offenders are incarcerated. “Hopefully this will be able to stem the alarm when people come on the site.”
“[The new listing] is a good thing so that the parents don’t think that these lowlifes are walking the streets,” Proveromo said.
Although there is no set date for the completion of this notation, a spokesperson from the Division of Criminal Justice said that the office will begin adding the information very soon.
“Governor Pataki has dedicated approximately $5 million to make enhancements to the sex offender registry. One of those enhancements will be the notation of when an offender is residing in a correctional facility,” said Jessica Scaperotti, press secretary for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. “The dissemination of information regarding sex offenders is dictated by statute.”
As of May 12, when Astoria and East Elmhurst residents checked the N.Y. State registry, which lists the addresses and whereabouts of Level 3 sex offenders, over 140 names appeared, but many of those were aliases, slicing the list down to about 60. Of these, the vast majority are currently serving time in Riker’s Island. However, for all local residents could tell, these sex offenders were loose on the street - their addresses variously listed as locations on Hazen Street.