With a recent ordinance establishing restrictions on registered sex offenders, many residents are starting to look more into the sex offender registry and are wondering, do they live in my neighborhood?
Recently, the 足交视频 Police department has noticed a 45% increase in sex offenders registering with the department over the last two and a half years. In 2021, the police department saw 151 active sex offender registrants.
As of June 2024, there were 219 active sex offender registrants. On the registry, 92% of those offenders were convicted of crimes involving minors.
鈥淭he majority of these victims were nine to 14 years old,鈥 Deputy Police Chief Clay Fetters said earlier this week.
Last Tuesday, the 足交视频 City Council approved an ordinance to establish child safety zones within the city and restrict registered sex offenders, who were convicted of crimes involving minors, from living in these designated areas.
Child safety zones include schools, licensed daycare facilities, playgrounds and city parks and would prevent registered sex offenders from living within 1,500 feet of these zones. While child safety zones are not limited to just these areas, these are common areas where children are more likely to congregate.
While there are state laws in place for registered sex offenders, the City of 足交视频 is now putting in place guardrails by establishing the child safety zones. When registered sex offenders move the state of Texas requires them to notify local law enforcement and register with that city/county鈥檚 register.
The 足交视频 Police Department noted an increased number of phone calls from out-of-town sex offender registrants asking if the city had residency restrictions. Prior to this ordinance, the answer was no. Some callers would then express an intent to move to 足交视频 since there are no residency restrictions according to city documents.
With the enactment of this new ordinance, 100 active registered sex offenders who live in the designated child safety zones would be grandfathered into their current residences. But, they would have to comply with the new ordinance should they ever move.
A sex offender is someone who has been convicted of a sexual crime and typically includes rape, sexual assault and child molestation/pornography. The definition can vary by state.
Some states have those committing public urination to be added to a sex offender registry. In Texas, prostitution is also labeled as a sex crime.
Online at the , residents can view a map of current registered sex offenders. By typing in an address, a name or a zip code, the website displays a map and shows names, photos and addresses of currently registered sex offenders including the offender鈥檚 risk level, how long they have to be registered for and how often they have to verify with local law enforcement.
On the website, it reports 96 registered sex offenders in a 3 1/2-mile radius and 148 in a 4.4=mile radius in 77904. A total of 40 of the 148 registered sex offenders are listed at high-risk levels.
High-risk sex offenders are people who have committed violent sexual acts, have participated in kidnapping or human trafficking or have committed sexual acts with a child under the age of 12. These high-risk level offenders also considered a serious threat to the community and are more likely to re-engage in criminal sexual conduct according to the .
Risk level ranges from low to moderate to high. For some on the register, their offenses are listed. Besides the map, residents can look up registrant鈥檚 names or by institutions of higher education.
It can be a taboo subject to talk about, but city and law enforcement officials believe issues like this must be addressed. The sex offender registry is public information and provides information through open record. Please visit to view The Texas Public Sex Offender website.
In this column called Ask Madison, Madison O’Hara, a 足交视频 native and Advocate reporter, answers questions readers have about anything and everything to do with the Crossroads. Email your question to Madison at askmadison@vicad.com or call her at 361-580-6558.
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