Volusia County expands restrictions for sexual offenders
Restrictions expanded for sexual offenders
There will now be stricter rules for sex offenders residing in Volusia County. State law says people on the sex offender registry can’t live within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, parks, or childcare facilities. A new ordinance will up that distance to 1,500 feet for sexual predators specifically. The Volusia County Council approved the measure on Tuesday.
ORLANDO, Fla. - There will now be stricter rules for sex offenders residing in Volusia County.
State law says people on the sex offender registry can’t live within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, parks, or childcare facilities. A new ordinance will up that distance to 1,500 feet for sexual predators specifically. The Volusia County Council approved the measure on Tuesday.
The Council’s Vice Chair and District 3 representative, Danny Robins, was behind the proposal. He did not say if there was anything specific that he felt necessitated the stricter rules. However, he says he’s found that Volusia County ranks in the top five counties in the state for number of sex offenders in the area, and he essentially just feels you can’t be too careful.
The council member defines sexual predators as sex offenders with repeated convictions or those who use violence or are an extreme threat to public safety. There are 120 of them in Volusia County.
With the passage of the ordinance, the number of places in the county where such offenders could potentially live goes down by 6%.
"That extra 500 feet gives our parents a peace of mind, gives our families and our community reassurance that their government is working for them in the areas that are most important and that their law enforcement is also working," said Council Member Robins.
State attorney R.J. Larizza and Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood each sent letters supporting the ordinance. This ordinance only applies to unincorporated parts of the county; individual cities would still have their own rules.