Nearly 100 sex offenders living near Yakima's pools
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- KIMA pulled the numbers and you might be surprised how many sex offenders live close to city pools here. There's no law against it. However, the rules are mixed when it comes to using the pool.
A pool can be a dangerous place for kids. Parents and lifeguards tell them to walk and watch where they're going. What about watching for sex offenders? That's the last thing on Kresta Bates mind.
"The kids have fun getting cooled off in the heat," said Bates.
Her three kids come to Franklin pool for swimming lessons. Action News told her there are 87 registered sex offenders living within one mile of the pool, 17 of them are level II and III.
"There's just so many children around here and you see a lot of children without their parents," said Bates.
Action News found eight living within a mile of Selah's pool. What's even scarier is that level one sex offenders are allowed to be at the pool.
"Those people do not have any conditions and any restrictions," said Cathy Le Compte Yakima County’s Corrections Supervisor. "They can go anywhere with no restrictions. The only requirement is to register."
The same goes for level II and III in Selah. However, the city of Yakima bans these offenders from the water. Despite that, there's no clear enforcement.
"You know children will go into the bathroom by themselves or something and you don't feel conformable doing that," said Bates.
The best way for moms like Kresta Bates to protect their children is to watch everyone. Pool employees don't keep a sex offender registry handy. They rely on the community and Yakima Police to enforce the ban. So far, one person has been caught breaking the law in Yakima.
A pool can be a dangerous place for kids. Parents and lifeguards tell them to walk and watch where they're going. What about watching for sex offenders? That's the last thing on Kresta Bates mind.
"The kids have fun getting cooled off in the heat," said Bates.
Her three kids come to Franklin pool for swimming lessons. Action News told her there are 87 registered sex offenders living within one mile of the pool, 17 of them are level II and III.
"There's just so many children around here and you see a lot of children without their parents," said Bates.
Action News found eight living within a mile of Selah's pool. What's even scarier is that level one sex offenders are allowed to be at the pool.
"Those people do not have any conditions and any restrictions," said Cathy Le Compte Yakima County’s Corrections Supervisor. "They can go anywhere with no restrictions. The only requirement is to register."
The same goes for level II and III in Selah. However, the city of Yakima bans these offenders from the water. Despite that, there's no clear enforcement.
"You know children will go into the bathroom by themselves or something and you don't feel conformable doing that," said Bates.
The best way for moms like Kresta Bates to protect their children is to watch everyone. Pool employees don't keep a sex offender registry handy. They rely on the community and Yakima Police to enforce the ban. So far, one person has been caught breaking the law in Yakima.
