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Police propose 1,500‑foot child‑safety zones; public commenter asks for 1,000‑foot buffer
Summary
Deputy Chief Clay Fetters presented a proposed ordinance to restrict where sex offenders convicted of crimes involving minors can live by creating 1,500‑foot child safety zones around places where children gather; a public commenter urged a 1,000‑foot buffer for playgrounds, day cares and schools.
Deputy Chief Clay Fetters of the Victoria Police Department told the City Council Tuesday he was proposing an ordinance to restrict where registered sex offenders convicted of crimes involving minors may establish residence within Victoria.
"I'm here tonight to propose the adoption of an ordinance to restrict where *** offenders convicted of crimes involving minors can live in the city," Fetters said, explaining the city currently has no residency restrictions once offenders are off parole or probation.
Fetters described the proposal as establishing child safety zones of 1,500 feet around places where children gather. He listed examples that would be included in the zones: city parks, city recreation centers, public and private schools, childcare facilities and daycare centers. Under the proposal, it would be a violation for a person convicted of a sex crime involving a minor to establish temporary or permanent residence within those zones.
Fetters said the department has observed a 45% increase in registered sex offenders in the city from 2021 to 2024; the transcript records he began a sentence mentioning "92% of these offenders" but does not complete that statistic in the recorded excerpt.
During the public comment period earlier in the meeting, sexual‑assault advocate and survivor Lisa Kertji told the council she was "pleading that not a 500 feet proximity but a 1000 feet proximity be set for playgrounds, day cares, and schools effective immediately so that the community can be safe, all of the women and all of the children." Kertji said the local men's shelter operated by the Salvation Army currently allows sex offenders to stay overnight and said she has observed offenders roaming streets in early morning hours.
The proposal was presented to council and staff answered questions; no vote on an ordinance was recorded in the portion of the meeting transcript provided. Council and staff did not adopt the measure during the meeting, and the transcript does not record specific next steps, a motion, or a timetable for further action.
