Westbrook could be following Gorham in adopting an ordinance restricting where registered sex offenders can live.
City Councilor Ed Symbol referred a possible sex-offender ordinance to the Public Safety Committee at Monday’s Westbrook City Council meeting.
The committee meeting would not happen for some time, but the referral comes after Gorham passed an ordinance earlier this month that bars registered sex offenders from living within certain distances of schools or child care centers. According to Councilor President Brendan Rielly, Cumberland is looking at an ordinance right now, as well.
The Gorham ordinance prohibits sex offenders from living or loitering within 2,500 feet of a school and 1,000 feet of a child-care center. The ordinance also applies to the campus of the University of Southern Maine because the Gorham campus has a day-care center. The new ordinance takes effect on Aug. 1.
There are currently 25 registered sex offenders living in Westbrook, according to the Maine sex-offender registry Web site.
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