In Fla., Home Signs Warn of Presence of Predators Brian Speer thought he had completed all of his obligations when he registered in Bradford County as a convicted sex predator after serving an eight-year prison sentence for child molestation. But now, in addition to submitting to a public registry for sex offenders, he has a permanent reminder of his crime posted right in his front yard: a bright red sign reading, "Brian Speer is a convicted Sexual Predator and lives at this location." The sign is one of 18 the Bradford County Sheriff's Office erected in mid-April outside the homes of convicted sex predators. The signs have been praised by many residents in the small rural county southwest of Jacksonville, but some question whether the new measure reaches too far and could be harassment against people who have served jail terms and already submit to the public registry. Neighboring Baker County started a similar program six years ago, and another neighbor, Putnam County, is considering one. "I think it's a lot of bull," said Speer, who was convicted of lewd or lascivious molestation in 2004. I believe that anybody that has any criminal background should have a sign in front of their house if we have one in front of ours. Bradford officials say they are working within the discretion afforded by state statutes, which mandate that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement use the Internet to notify the public of all sexual predators and requires that a sheriff or police chief conduct community notification of a sexual predator's presence. It does not specify how that community notification must take place. It traditionally has been done through fliers, print and television media, and websites, but Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith thought his office could do more. The federal Sex Offender and Registration Act, passed in 2006, sets minimum standards for sex offender notification across the country. There is no central database to track how agencies notify residents, but counties and towns in other states have tried sign programs with mixed success. Judges have ordered signs to be posted outside the homes of specific sex offenders in cases in Texas, Louisiana and Oregon. Sign placement also has been shot down. In 2009, a Kansas appeals court overturned a judge's order requiring a sex offender to post signs on both his home and vehicle. In Bradford County, Smith said that when his chief of jails told him about Baker County's sign program, he jumped at the idea. Brad Smith, the office's chief of operations, said the sheriff cleared it with the county attorney. The sheriff then floated the idea on social media in March, with an overwhelmingly positive response, and the first signs were posted April 16. "We realized it was not only a good idea, but something important to ensure that a consistent notification was being made," Brad Smith said. He said residents not living in Bradford County when original notifications go out could be unaware of a sexual predator's presence. With permanent signs, that is less likely. He also said cost was not an issue: The signs cost $10 each, and inmate labor is used to erect them. Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson said he is proud of the new program and happy others are adopting it. "I know the predators are not real fond of it," he said. I understand, but I think it's important for the community to know where these people live.