Kemah ordinance keeps sex offenders further away from children
Kemah City Council enforces stricter residency rules for sex offenders to safeguard children
Kemah City Council, alarmed by a rise in sex offenders residing locally, approved a new law. This law mandates that sex offenders live further away from places where children gather, doubling the previous distance requirement. FOX 26's Jade Flury offers an extensive report on how these measures aim to safeguard children.
KEMAH, Texas - Sex offenders looking to live in Kemah are facing new limitations. In an effort to protect children, the city council unanimously voted to update the law on how close sex offenders can live near places where kids gather.
Kemah city council members decided to double the distance of where registered sex offenders can live near where kids gather. In their council agenda, they say the change will help the police department by preventing sex offenders from access to children. Last month, the city council passed a new ordinance that restricts where sex offenders can live.
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"And ordinance of the city council of the city of Kemah Texas to enact an ordinance restricting the access sex offenders have from residing within the city of Kemah limits," said Mayor Robin Collins of Kemah.
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Up until recently, registered sex offenders had to live at least 500 feet away from schools, parks, and places where children gather. Now, that distance has been doubled to 1,000 feet to protect the kids.
A football field is roughly 300 feet long, so 1,000 feet is more than three football fields.
Now, homeowners who allow sex offenders to live on their properties can also be faced with fines under the new ordinance. The Kemah ordinance doesn’t apply to registered sex offenders who already live within the one-thousand foot zone.