TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - In the wake of the tragic murder of Sierah Joughin, there has been a push for new legislation to keep the community safer.
The Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity at the University of Toledo along with Stand Courageous, a nonprofit organization, have come together in an effort to establish a violent offender registry for the state of Ohio - legislation that only six states have adopted so far.
The registry would provide a central location for the public to view violent offenders. So far, the petition has garnered 12,000 signatures.
Organizers say it is important for people to know who is living next door and hope the implementation of an online registry will stop repeat crime offenders.
"We need to be able to look up and see who we're living around," said Paula Walters, President and CEO of Stand Courageous. "As a mother, you want to know dating history, if the person is a murderer or involved with sex trafficking."
According to Criminal Justice Services in Ohio, one in 351 people will fall victim to violent crime..
"I think it will just allow people to feel safer - that there is a registry out there - and it will help people from re-offending. And if they do, we have one central location to look them up," said Alpha Kappa Psi member Amber Mulholland.
