| For Immediate Release
January 17, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
MISSION VIEJO CREATES CHILD SAFETY ZONES AND BANS SEX OFFENDERS
WHO: Mission Viejo Mayor pro tem Rhonda Reardon, and Council Members Patricia Kelley, Dave Leckness and Cathy Schlicht. Mayor Frank Ury was not present.
WHAT: Had a second reading yesterday, Jan. 16, 2012, of the City Ordinance, which was enacted by a unanimous vote Jan. 03, 2012, to create a child safety zone in city parks to further protect children from registered sex offenders. The Mission Viejo 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. 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 Jan. 16, 2012.
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.
###