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Published March 31, 2010, 08:59 AM

Fargo official wants sex offender ordinance

A Fargo commissioner wants an ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from living within 1,200 feet of a school or a park district playground or pool. The distance is about three city blocks.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Fargo commissioner wants an ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from living within 1,200 feet of a school or a park district playground or pool. The distance is about three city blocks.

Commissioner Dave Piepkorn (PEP'-korn) says he plans to meet with the city attorney and police chief on Wednesday.

The idea stems from a recent failed effort to start a group home for sex offenders in a downtown Fargo neighborhood. Piepkorn says supporters are correct when they say city laws do not prohibit them from buying any apartment complex and renting to sex offenders, and he wants to change that.

Police Chief Keith Ternes (TURN'-us) says he's not convinced residency restrictions will ensure public safety. He says offenders might not report where they live to authorities as required. And he says sex offenders could still go into neighborhoods where they're not allowed to live.

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Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com

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