Reidsville ordinance prohibits sex offenders from public facilities

The Reidsville City Council has unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting registered sex offenders from city recreational facilities, public parks and greenway trails.

The new city ordinance, which passed Tuesday, will be enforced in conjunction with a state law, “Sex Offender Unlawfully on Premises.” It became effective Dec. 1.

“The mayor (James Festerman) had some concern that this state statute was not broad enough to cover all of the city’s public venues where children gather and participate in some activities, specifically the greenway trails, the boat ramps, the lake store, other areas around the lake, which would also include the campground,” Police Chief Edd Hunt said.

City Attorney William F. McLeod Jr. and Hunt determined the law was not broad enough to include all geographical areas within the confines of the two city lakes and the greenway trails. Hunt prepared a “full-scope” ordinance to present to city council.

Festerman said it “makes sense” to include areas such as the greenway trails and city parks in the ordinance because those are areas where children are likely to be; therefore, they are areas where sexual predatory attacks are more likely to occur.

“I think it’s important we do everything we can to protect our youth,” said Festerman. He said he has had conversations with Hunt about enacting such an ordinance to protect children from sexual predators even before the state law was passed.

Violations will be considered a Class H felony violation, and people are subject to a fine of not less than $500 per offense and, or 30 days in jail. Hunt said police would enforce violations of the state law first, if applicable. If the violation occurs in one of the “fringe areas,” police will use the city ordinance to enforce it.

Hunt told the council he plans to write each of the registered sex offenders in Reidsville and “possibly a certain radius around the city” to notify them of the new ordinance. He said there are 131 registered sex offenders in the county and 26 in the city.

“It’s not a requirement. I think the chief is just trying to give them a heads-up that they’re not welcome (in the city parks),” McLeod Jr. told the council. Hunt said he thought the city would have a better case against violators of the city ordinance if the registered sex offenders were notified in writing about the law.

Hunt said the city would need 30 to 50 signs making sex offenders aware of the ordinance. Councilman W. Clark Turner made a motion to adopt the ordinance and that the money for the signs comes from the contingency fund in the general fund balance.

Staff Writer Miranda Baines can be reached at mbaines@reidsvillereview.com or 349-4331, ext. 35.