JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An Action News Jax investigation has uncovered more than 1,000 registered sex offenders and predators living near school bus stops in Duval County.
Our reporting uncovered a “bus stop blind spot.” Action News Jax’s Deja Mayfield explains why a loophole in the law could be to blame.
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That Florida law that restricts where offenders can and cannot live lists places like schools, public pools, parks, and day cares. But there is no mention of bus stops.
We found a long list of offenders living near bus stops. We took the information to transportation leaders and state lawmakers to ask if something needs to change.
Our investigation started in March when a local mom emailed our newsroom with concerns.
She didn’t want to be identified, but told us she was worried after learning her child’s bus stop was in front of a registered sex offender’s home.
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So we started digging and we requested every school bus stop location in Duval County. Then, we used the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s database to identify the address of every offender and predator in Duval County, too.
From there, we used an AI software to tell us how many bus stops were in 1,000 feet of an offender’s address. That search rendered 1,165 offenders.
After that, we verified those results, address by address, using Google Maps. That human verification narrowed our final count to 1,064.
But then we found many of them may not be breaking the law.
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“The Florida Statute set out specific places where sex offenders cannot live within 1,000 feet, but bus stops are not one of them. There’s one carved out exception, and that’s if an offender is on controlled release. Other than that, you can have sex offenders living nearby bus stops,” attorney Michelle Suskauer said.
Suskauer explained that a separate law can restrict some offenders on conditional release from living near bus stops.
So, we dug deeper.
This time, we found of the 1,064 offenders we identified, only 137 are under conditional release. That means more than 900 others likely aren’t violating that restriction.
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“It’s just so dangerous and I don’t agree with that. I think there needs to be a change for real,” Jacksonville mom Naomi Cordero said.
“It’s not anything I want my daughter exposed to or even coming close to,” Jacksonville dad Andrew MacDonald said.
We took our findings to Duval County Public Schools’ two bus vendors, Student Transportation of America and Durham School Services. Both referred us to DCPS.
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DCPS declined our request for an on-camera interview, but school leaders did confirm that the district determines bus stop locations.
When we asked if it checks for offenders before assigning stops, DCPS said enforcing residency requirements is the responsibility of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
So, we took our findings to every state lawmaker representing Duval County.
Since July, we’ve shared our analysis with House Representatives Jessica Baker, Dean Black, Kimberly Daniels, and Senators Clay Yarborough and Tracie Davis.
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We asked each of them the same question: Would you support legislation to provide adequate protections for children waiting at school bus stops?
None made themselves available to answer that question.
So for now, the gap our investigation uncovered remains. Florida law restricts where many sex offenders can live, but for most, a school bus stop isn’t on that list.
DCPS provided detailed answers to each of our questions. You can read them below:
- When DCPS or one of its contractors establishes a school bus stop, does anyone check whether a registered sex offender or sexual predator lives near the proposed location? Does DCPS have any policy, guideline or minimum-distance requirement regarding the placement of school bus stops near the residence of a registered sex offender or predator? If so, please provide that policy or guideline.
- The monitoring and enforcement of sex offender registration and residency requirements near our bus stops are the responsibility of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which has a dedicated unit that handles these matters. The DCPS Transportation team also considers several factors when establishing bus stop locations, with student safety as the primary consideration. We evaluate roadway conditions, traffic patterns, visibility, walking distances, safe pedestrian access, student population density, and overall route efficiency. We also review stops to ensure buses can safely load and unload students while minimizing exposure to traffic hazards whenever possible.
- If DCPS learns that a registered sex offender or predator lives near an existing school bus stop, what happens? Is the stop reviewed, and under what circumstances would the district consider relocating it?
- Student safety is our highest priority. When DCPS Transportation becomes aware of a potential safety concern near a bus stop, it reviews the situation in partnership with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Each situation is evaluated individually. While the presence of a registered offender in a neighborhood does not automatically result in a bus stop being relocated, we consider factors such as proximity to the stop, available alternative locations, student safety concerns, and guidance from law enforcement. If the review identifies a safer and operationally feasible alternative, adjustments may be considered. We remain committed to being vigilant, responsive, and proactive in supporting safe environments for all students as they travel to and from school.
- Approximately 137 of the offenders and predators identified in our analysis are currently under conditional release, the category of supervision in which Florida law can impose residency restrictions involving school bus stops. Will DCPS review those locations or refer them to an appropriate state or law enforcement agency to determine whether any residency restrictions apply?
- DCPS welcomes information that may help enhance student safety. The district would review the information and coordinate with the appropriate agencies, including law enforcement partners, to verify it and determine whether any additional review of bus stop locations or current procedures is warranted. We also encourage you to share this information directly with law enforcement agencies so they can review it promptly and take appropriate action.
- It is important to note that not all registered sex offenders are subject to Florida’s 1,000-foot residency restriction. The restriction applies only to individuals convicted of certain qualifying offenses involving victims under age 16. Therefore, not every registered offender’s residence would violate state law or require additional review solely because of its proximity to a school or bus stop.
- After reviewing the findings of this investigation, does DCPS believe any changes to its current bus stop placement or review process are necessary?
- Please share your findings so the district can review the information and also provide it to our law enforcement partners for their review and any action they deem appropriate.
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