NY Legislator Proposes Domestic Violence Registry

Efforts are underway in New York to create a domestic violence registry, similar to the type of registry used to identify and keep track of sex offenders.

The registry is being pursued by Suffolk County legislator DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville), who wants to make an online registry of the county's current domestic violence offenders.

Gregory said the registry he is proposing would include the same information that is found on sex offender registries, such as the offender's name, address, and photograph.

"They'll be outed, and the community and the world will know this is the thing they do behind closed doors," said Gregory. "It's going to help save lives and keep people out of danger. That is why we are pushing it 100 percent."

Despite the bill's good intentions, several organizations and coalitions against domestic violence are concerned the registry could backfire.

One of the main concerns is the risk of the registry affecting the victim's confidentiality.  Because the names and addresses of the offenders would made public, it could be easy for people to use that information to identify the victim.

But despite these concerns, there are many victims who support the bill, saying there should be a registry to indicate the offenses committed.

Gregory has decided to wait to pursue the bill in the legislature until a provision has been added that leaves it up to a judge to determine how long a domestic violence offender will be listed in the registry.

To find out if your state has a similar law, click here to find a family law attorney near you.