Akron has epidemic of sex offenders living next to schools

Akron has a problem with sex offenders living next to schools, with dozens of sex offenders allegedly being identified living illegally next to the places where children study, according to a new report.

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2950 requires sex offenders to register their residential address, place of employment and school or college enrollment with the county sheriff, as well as inform the sheriff’s office if something in the previously provided information changes, according to The Akron Beacon Journal.

However, despite that, Summit County authorities told the news source that Ohio’s sex offender laws restrict their ability to force these people to move to a different place because the current law doesn’t include criminal penalties for violating the 1,000-foot residency restriction.

The news source discovered that 36 sex offenders are living within 1,000 feet of at least one Summit County school. The Journal also reported that there were also another 11 sex offenders who are living close to a school, but they are allowed to live there because they were convicted of their crimes before the 2003 residency law that would’ve prohibited them from doing so.

According to the news source’s analysis, “1,319 sex offenders live within Summit County’s 17 school districts,” and “four Summit County school districts – Akron Public Schools, Barberton City Schools, Cuyahoga Falls City Schools and Springfield Local Schools – have at least one sex offender illegally living too close to one of their school buildings.”

The Journal discovered that four of the offenders living close to Summit County schools are classified as Tier III offenders, the most severe designation with the most restrictions among all classifications.

Additionally, 28 sex offenders are allegedly illegally living near 17 of Akron Public School System’s 45 schools.

In its analysis, The Journal didn’t include “any potential juvenile offenders, sex offenders who moved and didn’t notify the sheriff’s office, and sex offenders whose addresses could not be mapped, which could include homeless offenders.”

The analysis by the news source targeted traditional public school districts because they usually educate the largest group of students and are considered to be protected sites, unlike many preschools, childcare centers, children’s crisis-care facilities, and residential infant-care centers.

The Journal began its investigation after hearing the concerns of people living in Akron, who said that there are too many sex offenders living illegally next to their West Hill neighborhood schools.

“It’s scary. It’s pretty scary and I don’t want anyone to feel like that,” Raina Gonzalez, one of the residents, mother, and president of the West Hill Volunteer Neighborhood organization, told Cleveland 19 News. “I feel like there was a false sense of safety.”

Gonzalez said that she and other Akron residents “were trusting the processes either established by [the] state, the county, the city, and [now] I’m wondering who is responsible.”

Akron Public Schools shared the statement with 19 News, saying that “the discovery of registered sex offenders near the I Promise School has been addressed through the application of APS safety protocols and active community involvement.”

“This matter highlights the strength of our ‘See Something, Say Something’ culture. By utilizing operational redundancies—including high-tech surveillance, mandatory notification reviews, and active law enforcement partnerships—we ensure that our safety network remains robust,” the officials said. “We have a multi-layered safety and security system to ensure the ongoing security of every scholar and staff member at all of our school properties.”

Similar news about sex offenders moving to Akron was reported by News 5 Cleveland.