1 Introduced by Council Member Redman: 2 3 4 ORDINANCE 2010-836 5 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING SEXUAL OFFENDERS AND 6 SEXUAL PREDATORS; MAKING FINDINGS; CREATING A 7 NEW CHAPTER IN ARTICLE XIX (PUBLIC SAFETY), 8 ORDINANCE CODE, TO WIT: CHAPTER 685 9 OFFENDER AND SEXUAL PREDATOR REGULATION); 10 RENUMBERING SECTIONS 11 674.503 BE 12 EMERGENCY 13 OFFENDERS NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS), 685.102 14 (SEXUAL PREDATORS RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS), AND 15 685.103 (REGISTRATION FEE) 16 CREATING A 685.104 (PROHIBITED 17 HOLIDAY ACTIVITY SEXUAL OFFENDERS; 18 EXCEPTIONS) TO REGULATE THE DRESS AND CONDUCT 19 OF 20 AROUND CHILDREN 21 SEXUAL OFFENDERS 22 PARTICIPATING IN HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD 23 PRESENT 24 OFFENDERS 25 VIOLATE THE TRUST OF THE CHILDREN OF THE CITY 26 OF 27 SIGNAGE AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SEXUAL 28 OFFENDERS 29 PROVIDING PENALTIES; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; 30 PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN 31 EFFECTIVE DATE. TO 674.501, (SEXUAL SECTIONS SHELTERS; SEXUAL NEW FOR OFFENDERS AND AND HOLIDAYS; PREDATORS PREDATORS PROHIBITING PREDATORS PREDATORS PROVIDING AND RESPECTIVELY; SEXUAL SEXUAL AND (TEMPORARY PREDATORS OPPORTUNITIES SEXUAL JACKSONVILLE; AND AND DURING INCREASED 685.101 SEXUAL SECTION 674.502, FOR TO FOR DURING FROM SEXUAL GAIN AND RESIDENTIAL HALLOWEEN; 1 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Jacksonville, has the 2 power to carry on county government to the extent not inconsistent 3 with general or special law pursuant to its Charter and per Florida 4 Statutes Section 125.01; and 5 WHEREAS, counties may adopt ordinances and resolutions 6 necessary for the exercise of its powers and prescribe fines and 7 penalties for the violation of ordinances in accordance with law; 8 and 9 WHEREAS, pursuant to Sections 775.21, 943.0435, and 944.607, 10 Florida Statutes, sexual offenders and sexual predators must report 11 in person to the local Sheriff’s Office within 48 hours of release 12 from 13 Corrections, 14 Department 15 permanent address; and 16 custody, of control and/or Department Juvenile of supervision Children Justice to and register of Department of Services or temporary or Family their WHEREAS, studies show 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be 17 sexually victimized before adulthood (D. Finkelhor, “Current 18 Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse.” The 19 Future of Children: Sexual Abuse of Children, 1994, volume 4, page 20 37.); and 21 WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has found there is a substantial 22 rate of recidivism among sexual offenders, (Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 23 84, 103(U.S. 2003)); and 24 WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has found sexual offenders are a 25 dangerous 26 concern, (Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 84, 103 (U.S. 2003)); and 27 class and that their high recidivism poses a grave WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has found the prevention of sexual 28 exploitation and abuse of children 29 objective of surpassing importance (New York v. Ferber, 458 US. 30 747, 757 (U.S. 1982)); and 31 - 2 - constitutes a governmental 1 WHEREAS, as of 2008, there were 50,393 known registered sexual 2 offenders and/or sexual predators (National Center for Missing and 3 Exploited Children, 2008) in the State of Florida; and 4 WHEREAS, there are believed to be over 1,650 known registered 5 sexual 6 Jacksonville (Florida Department of Law Enforcement, April, 2009.); 7 and 8 offenders WHEREAS, and/or Halloween sexual and predators other in holiday the City activities of present 9 increased opportunities for sexual offenders and sexual predators 10 to gain and violate the trust of the children of the City of 11 Jacksonville; and 12 WHEREAS, certain activities including, but not limited to 13 partying and the distribution of candy, lure children to the homes 14 of sexual offenders and sexual predators; and 15 WHEREAS, limiting children’s contact with sexual offenders and 16 sexual predators will increase children’s safety and well-being; 17 and 18 WHEREAS, to the City Council promoting the of the general City welfare of Jacksonville and safety of is 19 committed 20 children of the City of Jacksonville by limiting children’s contact 21 with sexual offenders and sexual predators; now therefore 22 BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Jacksonville: 23 Section 1. 24 cited as the 25 Ordinance.” Title. “City the This Ordinance shall be known and may be of Jacksonville Holiday Child Protection 26 Section 2. 27 (a) 28 findings 29 legislative findings and conclusions to support adoption of this 30 Ordinance. Those recitals are incorporated herein as if fully set 31 forth in this section. The set Legislative Findings and Intent. Council forth in of the the City recitals - 3 - of to Jacksonville this adopts Ordinance as the the 1 (b) The Council of the City of Jacksonville hereby finds and 2 determines that sexual predators and sexual offenders present an 3 extreme threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the 4 children of the City of Jacksonville. Sexual offenders and sexual 5 predators are extremely likely to use physical violence and repeat 6 their 7 victims 8 fraction of their crimes. This makes the cost of sexual predator 9 and offenses, than sexual and are most ever offender commit many reported, offenses, and victimization are to have prosecuted society at many for more only large, a while 10 incalculable, clearly exorbitant and a drain on the resources of 11 society. 12 (c) It is the sole intent of this Ordinance to reduce the 13 potential risk of harm to children of the community by limiting the 14 opportunity for sexual offenders and sexual predators to be in 15 contact with unsuspecting children. 16 Section 3. Chapter 19 Chapter 685 (Sexual Offender and Sexual Predator Regulation), which 20 shall read as provided for in this ordinance. and 24 5 25 Predators) 26 Emergency) are hereby renumbered to Chapter 685 (Sexual Offender 27 and 28 emergency 29 requirements), 685.102 (Sexual predators residency requirements), 30 and 685.103 (Registration Fee) respectively. 31 now renumbered sections 674.501, 674.502, and 674.503 are on file Sexual Chapter Predator shelters; 674 (Disaster Regulation) sexual Sexual as predators - 4 - 674 (674 Sexual Preparedness and Civil Emergency) renumbered. The sections of Part Against Chapter new 23 Measures of Against a Offenders of Predators) Measures created 22 (Protective Sexual (Protective hereby Sexual Chapter of Article XIX (Public Safety), Ordinance Code, to wit: 5 is and 18 Part There Offender Predator Section 4. Created. (Sexual 17 21 Regulation) 685 Offenders and Preparedness Sections and and 685.101 offenders Disaster Sexual Civil (Temporary notification A copy of former and 1 with the Chief of Legislative Services. 2 Section 5. New 685.104 for 4 created. There is hereby created a new section 685.104 (Prohibited 5 Holiday Activity for Sexual Offenders; Exceptions), Ordinance Code, 6 to read as follows. 7 Sec. 685.104 8 Exceptions. 10 Exceptions), Holiday Activity (a) Offenders; (Prohibited 3 9 Sexual section Ordinance Code, Prohibited Holiday Activity for Sexual Offenders; Holiday Prohibitions and requirements for Sexual Offenders; Exemption. 11 (1) It is unlawful for any Sex Offender to participate 12 in a holiday event or practice involving children under 18 years of 13 age, 14 Valentine’s 15 event. such 16 as distributing Day, (2) candy Halloween, or other Christmas items or any to children on holiday or other It is unlawful for any Sex Offender to wear costumes 17 for the primary purpose of entertaining, attracting, or encouraging 18 interaction with children. 19 20 (3) Any person designated a Sex Offender shall be required on October thirty-first of each year to: 21 (i) 22 children; 23 (ii) Post a sign at his or her residence stating, 24 “No candy or treats at this residence”; 25 (iii) 26 during the evening hours after 5 p.m., and exhibit 27 no 28 residence 29 residence. 30 31 (4) offender is Avoid Leave exterior Holiday the all all to or outside decorations events parent Halloween attract or related residential on or the guardian - 5 - of in the which off Offender’s children child with lighting Sexual entice practices contact to the or the sexual children 1 involved, 2 exempt from this section. 3 4 (b) where no Definitions. non-familial children are present, are The following terms are defined as follows for the purposes of this section: 5 6 and (1) Child, children, or minor shall mean individuals whose chronological age is less than eighteen (18) years. 7 (2) Sex offender, for the purpose of this section, shall 8 mean an individual who is registered or obligated to be registered 9 by any state or federal agency as either a sexual offender or 10 sexual predator 11 published on any state or federal registered sexual offender or 12 sexual predator listing, including, but not limited to the sexual 13 offenders 14 943.0435; 775.21; and 944.607, Florida Statutes. 15 16 17 and (3) and sexual whose name is predators published registry or required established in to be Section Participation is to be defined as attendance at, or taking part of, or cooperation with an event. (c) Penalties. With regard to enforcement of this section, 18 The City and the Sheriff’s Office may pursue any enforcement action 19 or legal remedy available under the controlling state law and any 20 legal remedy available to the City, to include, but not limited to, 21 injunctive relief, arrest, a fine not exceeding $500.00 for each 22 occurrence, or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding sixty (60) 23 days or by both a fine and imprisonment for each occurrence, unless 24 prohibited by law. For the purposes of administrating and enforcing 25 this section, the Sheriff or Sheriff’s designee, is authorized to 26 adopt policies and guidelines not inconsistent with this section. 27 28 29 30 (d) Separate violations. Each separate occurrence of any conduct prohibited by this section shall be a separate violation. (e) Countywide Applicability. This is an ordinance of county wide applicability, enforceable throughout Duval County. 31 - 6 - 1 (f) Preemption. In the event any state or federal law is 2 enacted which is more restrictive in nature than the provisions of 3 this section, those portions of this section which are in conflict 4 with the state or federal law will cease to be in effect. 5 (g) Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, 6 clause, phrase, or provision of this section is held invalid or 7 unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such portion 8 shall become a separate provision and will not affect the validity 9 of the remaining portions of this section. The City of Jacksonville 10 further 11 adopted if such unconstitutional provision was not included. 12 declares Section 5. its intent that Effective Date. this section would have been This ordinance shall become 13 effective upon signature by the Mayor or upon becoming effective 14 without the Mayor’s signature. 15 16 Form Approved: 17 18 /s/ Margaret M. Sidman _ 19 Office of General Counsel 20 Legislation Prepared By: Steven E. Rohan 21 G:\SHARED\LEGIS.CC\2010\ord\Redman Halloween Sex Offenders.doc - 7 -