Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Weatherford extends exclusion zone for registered offenders near child-safe areas to 2,000 feet; Halloween restrictions added
Summary
The council adopted an ordinance expanding the exclusion radius for registered offenders from 1,000 to 2,000 feet around child safety zones, includes a grandfathering clause and new Halloween restrictions (lights-out and ban on giving candy), and requires registrants to notify the city within seven days of a move.
The Weatherford City Council voted to expand the city's exclusion zone for registered offenders near child safety zones from 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet and added specific restrictions for Halloween.
Chief of Police Jason Hayes presented the ordinance, describing local counts and the rationale for the larger buffer. "We currently have around 60 registered offenders that live within the city limits of Weatherford," Hayes said, adding: "53 of those individuals would qualify for this ordinance as they have victims that are 17. Of those 53 offenders, 28 of them have victims that are 14, and 16 of them have victims under the 10." Hayes told the council the proposed rule would double the exclusion distance and described a grandfathering clause that allows current residents inside the 1,000-foot radius to remain at their current addresses but subjects subsequent moves to the 2,000-foot rule.
The ordinance includes a reporting requirement: registrants who change residence must notify the city within seven days. It also adds two specific Halloween-era restrictions for qualifying registrants: they must keep exterior lights off during Halloween and are forbidden from distributing candy or treats to children on that day, measures the chief said are intended to reduce proximity between registrants and typical locations where children gather.
Council members asked about whether churches should appear on the child-safety map. Chief Hayes and legal counsel said churches may be included if they meet the definitions that trigger inclusion (for example, if they host daycare programs) and that the city will continue to update the GIS map to add qualifying locations. Legal counsel noted most cities do not automatically add churches by name unless they meet the child-care definitions; council agreed to ask staff to analyze adding churches and to report back.
Luke Williams moved adoption; Mayor Pro Tem Smith seconded and the mayor called the motion which passed on a recorded announcement of "that item passes." The transcript does not include a roll-call vote tally.
The mayor asked staff to research possible enhancements to section 6-15-2 and report back within 60 days or four meetings.
