ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO ADOPT NEW LAW TO KEEP REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS OUT OF PARKS, HARBORS, BEACHES AND PLAYGROUNDS

ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO ADOPT NEW LAW TO KEEP REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS OUT OF PARKS, HARBORS, BEACHES AND PLAYGROUNDS

SANTA ANA – The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today to adopt a new County Ordinance to create a child safety zone to further protect children from registered sex offenders. The Ordinance was developed and proposed by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Supervisor Shawn Nelson (Fourth District) and makes it a misdemeanor for registered sex offenders to enter County recreational areas where children regularly gather without permission from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD). The Ordinance will take effect Thursday, May 5, 2011, and be enforced in County parks and harbors by OCSD.

“Orange County has taken a huge step in creating a safety zone for our children,” stated District Attorney Rackauckas. “Parks, harbors, and beaches belong to families and children, not registered sex offenders.”   

“I am proud the Board of Supervisors has taken a stand for children and approved this ordinance,” stated Supervisor Nelson. “A gap in the law was identified and now law enforcement has the authority they need to remove registered sex offenders from children’s play areas.”

California Penal Code sections 290, et seq. require individuals convicted of certain crimes to register as sex offenders. The registration process is used to ensure that such offenders shall be readily available for police surveillance at all times because such offenders are deemed likely to commit similar offenses in the future.

Orange County offers regional recreational facilities, including historical and natural resources, as part of OC Community Resources and OC Dana Point Harbor. Nearly 60,000 acres of parkland and open space include regional and wilderness parks, nature preserves, recreational trails, historic sites, harbors, and beaches where children regularly gather. Typical amenities in these areas include picnic and barbecue facilities, campgrounds, maintained hiking trails, playgrounds, and various learning centers where families regularly visit. Accordingly, Orange County regional recreational facilities have been identified as areas where children regularly gather. The newly passed Ordinance seeks to protect children by restricting registered sex offenders’ access to these locations. 

This Ordinance defines an Orange County Park as any County-owned, leased, operated or maintained land before or after the effective date of this Ordinance by the County of Orange held as a harbor, beach, park or recreation area, including but not limited to Arroyo Trabuco Park, Carbon Canyon Regional Park, Clark Regional Park, Craig Regional Park, Featherly Regional Park, Irvine Regional Park, Laguna Niguel Regional Park, Mason Regional Park, Mile Square Regional Park, O’Neill Regional Park, Orange County Zoo, Peters Canyon Regional Park, Santiago Regional Park, Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park, Yorba Park, Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Caspers Wilderness Park, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, Talbert Nature Preserve, Aliso Beach Park, Capistrano Beach Park, Newport Harbor, Salt Creek Beach Park, Sunset Beach Park, Dana Point Harbor, and Sunset Harbor.

Violators may be punished with up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine.