| For Immediate Release December 14, 2011 | Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
LAGUNA HILLS CREATES CHILD SAFETY ZONES AND BANS SEX OFFENDERS
WHO: Laguna Hills Mayor L. Allan Songstad Jr., Mayor pro tem Melody Carruth, and Council Members Joel Lautenschleger, Barbara Kogerman, and Randal Bressette.
WHAT: Had a second reading yesterday, Dec. 13, 2011, of the City Ordinance, which was enacted by a unanimous vote Nov. 22, 2011, to create a child safety zone in city parks to further protect children from registered sex offenders. The Laguna Hills City Ordinance was modeled after the County Ordinance, establishing city parks as “Child Safety Zones” where registered sex offenders are prohibited from entering without written permission from the Orange County Sheriff or her designee, unless granted a waiver based on criteria outlined in the Ordinance. The Laguna Hills Ordinance will additionally require signage at individual parks informing the public of the Ordinance. The County Ordinance, proposed by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Supervisor Shawn Nelson (Fourth District), was passed unanimously by the Orange County Board of Supervisors on April 5, 2011. The County Ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for registered sex offenders to enter County recreational areas where children regularly gather. The City Ordinance goes into effect 30 days from Dec. 13, 2011.
To read the full County Ordinance, please select the April 5, 2011, press release titled “Orange County Board of Supervisors Unanimously Votes to Adopt New Law to Keep Registered Sex Offenders Out of Parks, Harbors, Beaches and Playgrounds,” under Press Releases/Media Advisories at www.orangecountyda.com.
To read the Ordinance, please select “Agendas and Minutes,” under Quick Links on the homepage www.ci.laguna-hills.ca.us. Select “City Council,” click on the agenda for Dec. 13, 2011.
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