Las Vegas NowSexual Offenders Living Near Colleges Raises Concern

Sexual Offenders Living Near Colleges Raises Concern

Sex offenders have been banned from living near schools, parks and playgrounds but they are still free to live near college campuses in Nevada and other states.

Thousands of students are heading back college campuses around the nation and in Las Vegas. Angela Moor, a UNLV graduate who works on the campus, does wonder about the neighborhood and its safety.

"It's not a very good neighborhood for crime and stuff like that," Moor said.

Eyewitness News checked the most recent records of sex offenders living near UNLV. Only four live within a quarter-mile of campus but if that search is expaned to a one mile radius, the number jumps to 37 sex offenders. There are 15 living within a mile of Community College of Southern Nevada's main campus on Charleston and in Reno at UNR, there were 93 offenders living near the campus at the time of Brianna Denison's kidnapping and murder.

"I think it's certainly something to look at," said  State Senator Dina Titus, who is also running for Congress. She sponsored Nevada legislation that keeps sex offenders away from schools and kids and she is open to idea of expanding it to include colleges.

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"These are not nice guys. The public doesn't want them hanging around our vulnerable populations," she said.

UNLV does offer police escorts to students if they want them and call boxes are placed all over the campus. UNLV spokesman Dave Tonelli says they closely follow who's living in their backyard. 

"We're in very close communication between Nevada Department of Public Safety, Metro, and our police department." said Tonelli.

For people like Angela Moor, that is good enough to make her feel safe.

"It's really well lit, and I never felt worried, and if you do, you can always contact police to escort you."

No where in the entire country does the law restrict sex offenders from living near colleges but some states are looking at new legislation.