RPD wants to close ‘loopholes’ in sex offender proximity, residency ordinance

Four years after the Rhinelander Common Council voted to enact a residency and proximity ordinance directed at convicted sex offenders, Police Chief Lloyd Gauthier was back in the council chambers late last month to introduce revisions aimed at closing what the department believes are “loopholes” in the law.

In presenting the proposed changes during the July 24 council meeting, Gauthier noted that the ordinance has not been amended since it was created in August 2019.

“Part of our duties as the administration at the police department, between the captain and I, is to look at our current ordinances and (determine) are they still current, do they need to be looked at,” Gauthier explained. “This is one that Captain (Josh) Chiamulera found, he noticed there are a few loopholes that he just wanted to clean up to make our ordinance more effective. Again, our job is the preservation of safety for our children and our community.”

There are two areas of concern, Gauthier explained.

First, as it’s currently written, the ordinance applies only to those who are on supervision as sex offenders. 

“So somebody might be a lifelong sex offender, they get off probation and parole, they would not have to follow this ordinance,” Gauthier explained. “This is a loophole we wanted to correct, that it doesn’t matter if you’re on probation and parole, the fact that if you’re on the sex offender registry (means) you’re required to follow our ordinance.”

The second issue is related to so-called deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) where the district attorney’s office refrains from prosecuting a defendant for a set amount of time, typically a year, “to see that the defendant does not recommit or do another violation of the law and at the end of it there’s a mutual plan to satisfy that charge. During that time period, because that person is not convicted, they wouldn’t technically be required to follow our ordinance but part of the deferred prosecution agreement would be, on some crimes, that they would have to immediately register for the sex offender program, that way they would be required to follow through and follow our ordinance.”

Gauthier stressed that the restrictions do not render it impossible for convicted sex offenders to reside in the city.

“There’s plenty of residency room within the city for somebody to be able to live in,” he said. “There’s a fair amount available for housing.”

The July 24 discussion was the first reading of the proposed amendments to the ordinance. A second reading is required before the council can approve the changes. The council’s next scheduled meeting is Aug. 14.

In other business, the council approved the purchase of a 2023 Dodge Durango for the police department’s K-9 unit.

Gauthier noted that the department began an independent fundraising campaign last year that has resulted in over $50,000 in donations.  

“I would like to thank all those who donated in that process to outfit the squad and also to purchase the squad,” he said, noting that “not one single penny” of the cost of the vehicle will come from the tax roll. The new vehicle is a bit lower to the ground, which will save “wear and tear” on the hips of K-9 officer Jason, he said.

“It’s going to increase his years of service to the community,” the chief added. “I can’t say enough about the fundraising effort.”

The department has two K-9 officers — Odin, a German Shepherd who works with Sgt. Chad Brown and Jason, a Belgian Malinois who is partnered with Officer Mark Raddatz. The new vehicle will be Jason’s squad. Jason is named in memory of Everest Metro police detective Jason Weiland who was killed in the line of duty while responding to an active shooter incident in Marathon County on March 22, 2017.