Westminster bans sex offenders from city parks
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The new ordinance going into effect July 8 will prohibit registered sex offenders from entering city parks without police permission.WESTMINSTER – An ordinance banning registered sex offenders from entering city parks will become effective July 8.
The City Council voted 4-0 to approve a final reading of the ordinance Wednesday night with Councilman Frank Fry absent. On May 26, council members voted 4-0 to pass the first reading of the ordinance, with Fry abstaining.
Westminster's ordinance comes in the wake of the Orange County Board of Supervisors' vote last month to adopt a similar ordinance banning registered sex offenders from county parks.
If convicted of a first-time violation of this code, an individual could face up to six months in county jail and a $500 fine. Under California Penal Code section 290, individuals convicted of certain crimes are required to register as sex offenders with local law enforcement agencies.
Several Orange County cities are discussing the issue. But so far, Westminster and Huntington Beach have been the only ones to actually pass the ban. Rancho Santa Margarita council members discussed the matter Wednesday. Council members, who expressed unanimous support for the ordinance, asked city staff members to come back with a draft of the ordinance for a first reading.
Critics of the ordinance have raised concerns about the constitutionality of the ordinance. Others argue that the law does little to differentiate low-level sex offenders from those who have committed violent crimes and that such a law could be difficult to enforce.
Register Staff Writer Kristy Chu contributed to this report.
The City Council voted 4-0 to approve a final reading of the ordinance Wednesday night with Councilman Frank Fry absent. On May 26, council members voted 4-0 to pass the first reading of the ordinance, with Fry abstaining.
Children frolic at the Splash Pad in Sigler Park. A new ordinance passed by the city will ban registered sex offenders from entering any of the city's parks without prior police permission.
LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
If convicted of a first-time violation of this code, an individual could face up to six months in county jail and a $500 fine. Under California Penal Code section 290, individuals convicted of certain crimes are required to register as sex offenders with local law enforcement agencies.
Several Orange County cities are discussing the issue. But so far, Westminster and Huntington Beach have been the only ones to actually pass the ban. Rancho Santa Margarita council members discussed the matter Wednesday. Council members, who expressed unanimous support for the ordinance, asked city staff members to come back with a draft of the ordinance for a first reading.
Critics of the ordinance have raised concerns about the constitutionality of the ordinance. Others argue that the law does little to differentiate low-level sex offenders from those who have committed violent crimes and that such a law could be difficult to enforce.
Register Staff Writer Kristy Chu contributed to this report.
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