HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 276-2006 Unlawful for Certain Sex Offenders to Loiter within 1,000 ft Repealed Ord 284-2006.pdfCITY OF ANNA, TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO. 276-2006
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ANNA, TEXAS MAKING IT UNLAWFUL
FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS TO LOITER WITHIN 1,000 FEET OF
PREMISES WHERE CHILDREN GATHER; PROVIDING THAT A CULPABLE
MENTAL STATE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR COMMITTING SUCH AN
OFFENSE; PROVIDING FOR AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF $2,000; PROVIDING FOR
A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A, REPEALING CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Anna ("City Council') determines and
declares that sex offenders are a serious threat to public safety; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council determines that establishing a policy to restrict the
property available for residence of sex offenders will provide better protection for
children gathering in the City; and,
WHEREAS, Article 42.12 (138) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
provides a 1,000 foot safety zone for children, as a condition of probation for
those convicted of certain sexual offenses;
WHEREAS, the members of the City Council are deeply and profoundly
concerned about the unfortunate, numerous occurrences within the State of
Texas and the United States when convicted sexual offenders have been
released from custody and then repeat the same or similar unlawful acts for
which they had originally been convicted; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Anna, Texas finds from the available
evidence that the recidivism rate for released sexual offenders is alarmingly high,
especially for those who commit crimes upon children; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs,
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), studied the recidivism of sex offenders
released since 1994 and found the following:
1. within three years following their release, 5.3% of sex offenders (men who
had committed rape or sexual assault) were rearrested for another sex
crime;
2. on average, the 9,691 sex offenders served less than half of the eight-year
average sentence;
Ord. No. 278-2006 Sex Offender 1,000' 1 W27-06
3. compared to non -sex offenders released from state prisons, released sex
offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime;
4. of the released sex offenders, 3.5% were reconvicted for a sex crime
within the three-year follow-up period, 24% were reconvicted for a new
offense and 38.6% were returned to prison, either because they received
another prison sentence or because of a parole violation; and
5. the 9,691 released sex offenders studied included 4,295 men who were in
prison for child molesting; and
WHEREAS, other BJS surveys have shown that 70% of all men in prison for a
sex crime were men whose victim was a child; and
WHEREAS, the Texas Department of State Health Services Council on Sex
Offender Treatment recently found that incarceration in a penal institution does
not deter repeat sexually violent predators or the proliferation of sexual violence
and that decades of research across a broad spectrum of issues show that
punishment merely suppresses deviant behavior and does not eradicate lt; and
WHEREAS, experts in the area of criminology have stated that "all sexual
assaults should be considered violent behavior;" and
WHEREAS, experts in the field of child sex crimes, such as those at the John
Jay College in New York, state that" ... child sexual abuse is significantly
underreported" and a study of the Center for Sex Offender Management, a
project of the United States Department of Justice, noted that "although sex
offenders account for only a small percentage of the total offender population,
probably no other group of offenders evokes as much fear in citizens and
concern among policymakers and practitioners. In an effort to protect the public
from the threats posed by known sex offenders and to ensure that the most
effective management practices possible are in place, communities across the
country are working hard to assess and plan improvements in Meir current
approaches to sex offender management;" and
WHEREAS, one expert author has written that "[t]here is overwhelming evidence
that indicates that our current system of punishing or treating sexual offenders is
failing us" and a publication of the American Medical Association (AMA) states
that "chill sexual abuse has been endemic for generations, but recognition of the
prevalence and the potential devastating psychological effects have only recently
received attention" and the AMA publication goes on to state that "recent studies
suggest that approximately 20% of children will be sexually abused in someway
before they reach adulthood, with this figure cumulating at a rate of about 1%
each year;" and
Ord. No. 276-2008 Sex Offender 1,000' 2 08-27-08
WHEREAS, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has assembled the following
relevant statistics:
1. in 2001, there were approximately 386,000 registered sex offenders in the
United States;
2. approximately 95% of sex offenders in the U.S. are under correctional
supervision in the community;
3. at least half of convicted child molesters report that they also have been
sexually assaulted as a child;
4. over 80% of convicted adult rapists report that they have molested
children;
5. approximately one-third of sex offenders report assaulting both males and
females;
6. research shows that most convicted sex offenders have committed many,
many assaults before they are caught;
7. most sex offenders report that they have committed multiple types of
sexual assault (sexual assault crimes include exhibitionism, voyeurism,
oral sex, vaginal penetration, attempted penetration, fondling, and incest);
8. over two-thirds of offenders who reported committing incest also said they
assaulted victims outside the family;
9. studies of victims have found that less than 16% of sex crimes are
reported to law enforcement;
10. young victims who know or are related to the perpetrator are least likely to
report the crime to authorities;
11. most offenders commit multiple crimes against multiple types of victims
with wham they have varying types of relationships (adults, children, male,
female, known and unknown);
12. sex offenders rarely commit a single type of offense;
13. sex offenders usually do not commit their crimes impulsively, they usually
carefully plan their crimes; and
WHEREAS, the City of Anna, Texas is a family-oriented community which highly
values its children and is a place that families with young children find highly
desirable; and
Ord. No. 276-2006 Sex Offender 1,000' 3 M27-08
WHEREAS, the City of Anna, Texas desires to ensure that the citizens of the
City of Anna are protected from criminal activity to the maximum extent afforded
by controlling law in order to advance the public health, safety and welfare, and
benefit the citizens of the City of Anna, Texas to the maximum extent possible;
and
WHEREAS, this Ordinance is enacted under the general tome rule and police
powers of the City of Anna, Texas and is not a zoning matter or a land
development regulation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF ANNA, TEXAS:
Section 1. Recitals Incorporated
The foregoing recitals are incorporated herein as if set forth in full and constitute
findings of the City Council.
Section 2. Definitions
For the purposes of this Ordinance, the following terms, words and the
derivations thereof shall have the meanings given herein.
"Loitering" means—whether on foot, on bicycle, or in a vehicle—wandering or
remaining idle in essentially one location, including sitting, lounging, loafing,
walking about aimlessly, or repeatedly frequenting the same location, or
repeatedly circling or driving by on a bicycle or in a motor vehicle.
"Minor"means a person younger than 17 years of age.
"Permanent Residence" means a place where a person abides, lodges, or
resides for 14 or more consecutive days.
"Playground," "School," "Day Care Facility," "Video Arcade Facility," "Public or
Private Youth Center," and "Public Swimming Poor have the respective
meanings assigned to them in Tex. Health & Safety Code §481.134.
"Prohibited Area" means the area within 1,000 feet in any direction from real
property limits upon which minors normally gather including any Playground,
School, Day Care Facility, Video Arcade Facility, Public or Private Youth Center,
Public Swimming Pool, Home -Owner Association -Managed Swimming Pool,
Public Youth Sports Facility, or School Bus Stop located within the City of Anna's
corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Ord. No. 2762006 Sex Offender 1,000' 4 0627-06
"School Bus Stop" means any area designated by the Anna Independent School
District as a school bus stop where children regularly gather for the purpose of
boarding and debarking from a school bus.
Section 8.ORensea
For each person required to register on the Texas Department of Public Safety's
Sex Offender Database (the "Database") because of a violation involving a victim
who was a Minor at the time of the sexual offense.
Section 4. Evidentiary Matters
It shall be prima facie evidence that this Ordinance applies to a person if that
person's record appears on the Database and the Database indicates that the
victim was a Minor at the time of the sexual offense.
A map depicting the Prohibited Areas shall be maintained by the City of Anna.
The City shall review the map at least annually for changes. Said map will be
available to the public at the Anna Police Department. Failure to keep, maintain
or update the map shall in no way affect the enforceability of any part of this
Ordinance. Any inaccuracies shown on the map in no way affect the
enforceability of any part of this Ordinance. it is solely the responsibility of a
person governed by this Ordinance to determine whether he or she is within a
Prohibited Area.
Section 5 Culpable mental state not repulred
Neither allegation nor evidence of a culpable mental state is required for the
proof of an offense defined by this Ordinance.
Section 6. Affirmative defenses
It is an affirmative defense to prosecution that any of the information on the
Database is incorrect, and, if corrected, this Section would not apply to the
person who was erroneously listed on the Database.
It is not an affirmative defense to prosecution for a violation of this Ordinance that
the actor was unaware that the prohibited conduct occurred within a Prohibited
Area, nor shall it be a defense to prosecution under this Ordinance that no
Minor(s) were present within any Prohibited Area at the time of the offense.
Ord. No. 276-2006 sex oeenaer 1,000' 5 06-27-06
Section 7. Penalties
A person commits an offense if the person violates any part of this Ordinance.
An offense of this Ordinance is a Class C misdemeanor. Any person convicted
of violating this Ordinance shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $2,000 for
each incident of violation. Each day of the continuance of such violation shall be
considered a separate offense and shall be punished separately. The penal
provisions imposed under this Ordinance shall not preclude the City from filing
suit to enjoin the violation. The City retains all legal rights and remedies available
to it pursuant to local, state and federal law.
Section 8. Reveal Provision
All parts of any other ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance
are to the extent of such conflict hereby repealed.
Section 9. Severance
If any part of this Ordinance is for any reason found by a court of competent
jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, all other parts nevertheless
shall remain valid, legal, and enforceable.
Section 10. Effective Date
This Ordinance shall be effective upon the posting and/or publication of its
caption as required by law and the City Secretary is hereby directed to implement
such posting and/or publication.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Anna, Texas, by the following votes on
this the 27th day of June, 2006.
AYE 5
NAY 0
ABSTAIN 0
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Cy.OF•q!y
C' Secretary, Natha Wikison=_ktayor, Kenneth I
a -
Ord. No. 276-2008 Sex Offender 1,000' }ynxuin^ 0&27-06