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Miami Commission Sues State Over Sex Offenders

MIAMI (CBS4) - The Miami City Commission is taking up its battle against homeless sex offenders again. Thursday, the commission voted to sue the state of Florida to stop sending sex offenders to live at the corner of NE 10th and 79th Street in Miami.

"It is an inappropriate use of that function of government to place sex offenders in the city of Miami," said Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who proposed the lawsuit.

Miami Police said 23 registered sex offenders now call that 79th Street location home and sleep on the sidewalks every night. They said the offenders are there because local restrictions prohibit them from living near schools or daycares.

Police said it was the sex offenders that told them probations officers directed them to that location.

"Some of them had very synonomous stories which was I got out of prison I go see my probation officer," explained commander Manuel Morales, city of Miami Police. "First question they ask me was where are you going. He says I got no where to go. So they hand me this little piece of paper that says the address of 970 E 79th street. So two or three of them gave me the same story."

The department of corrections denies sending sex offenders anywhere. But Miami officials said that is the same story corrections gave them years ago when a small city of sex offenders was growing under the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

The Miami City Commission also voted to have a city attorney and the Chief of Police draft state legislation to share the sex offender burden all over Florida and find a permanent solution. They have sixty days to report back to the commission.

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