ANAHEIM, CA - (October 10, 2012) - The Anaheim City Council this evening introduced an ordinance to create child safety zones in public parks by prohibiting registered sex offenders from entering Anaheim’s more than 50 city parks. The ordinance will come before the City Council at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Oct. 23 for adoption, and if approved, would take effect 30 days thereafter.

Anaheim’s ordinance is consistent with the child safety zone ordinance enacted by the County of Orange. Anaheim joins the cities of Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Westminster, and Yorba Linda as municipalities that have similar ordinances.

Every person registering with the Anaheim Police Department under California Penal Section 290 will be provided with a written notice of this prohibition and will be asked to sign an acknowledgment of receipt. The ordinance, in Chapter 7.60 of Title 7 of the Anaheim Municipal Code, authorizes the Chief of Police, in his sole discretion, to grant an exemption to this prohibition upon receipt of an application for such exemption.

A list of Anaheim public parks can be found by clicking here.

Media Contact: Ruth Ruiz 714.765.5060more city news

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