Warwick, RI– Colonel Stephen M. McCartney and the Warwick Police Department announce two informational forums being held in an effort to help educate the business community and public about a fairly new law called the Child Safe Zones Act which was created to help further protect children. These forums came as a result of the arrest of a registered sex offender in late 2015 for violation of this new law.
In that case, the Warwick Police Department along with members of the US Marshall's SOLEMN (Sex Offender Law Enforcement Multidisciplinary Network) task force arrested Heath Gagne, 40 years of age, from Vallette St. in Cranston charging him with violation of Prohibition from Employment- Child Safe Zones which is a felony. The arrest came as a result of shared information and a cooperative investigation with the West Warwick Police Department after it was learned that Gagne was employed by a subcontractor working for a local amusement company operating carnivals throughout RI.
"The arrest of Gagne demonstrates how the collaborative efforts of the US Marshall's Sex Offender task force along with local law enforcement and probation continues to help keep our children safe", stated Colonel McCartney. Our hope is by conducting these forums, we will be able to educate our business community about the impact the Child Safe Zones Act may have on their businesses and what their responsibilities are with regards to their employment practices.
The informational forums will be held at Warwick Police headquarters in the Community Room on March 22 and March 30 from 3-4 pm and will be conducted by members of the Warwick Police Department Community Services Division along with representatives from the RI Attorney General's office.
For more information or if you are interested in attending one of the forums, please contact Officer Stephen Lombardi at 401-468-4325 or via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
CONTACT: Lieutenant Michael Gilbert, OIC Community Services Division, 401-468-4344
