Update:
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County council members batted down a proposal to ban adults from public playgrounds unless they’re supervising children over fears it had too many unintended consequences.
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A few of the council members who voted for it said they didn’t want to create more homeless and indicated the size of the zone would be revisited.
Robins tabled another proposal that would’ve put cameras in playgrounds so police would have video if anything happened.
We are unsure when the final vote for the sex offender restrictions will take place.
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A push from a Volusia County Commissioner could make it even more challenging for registered sex offenders to find a place to live.
Danny Robins wants the county to consider prohibiting offenders from living within 1,500 feet of parks, daycares and schools.
State law says registered sex offenders only have to be 1,000 feet away from those establishments.
Commissioner Robins said right now, each city has its own regulations related to where this group of the population can live.
He wants unincorporated Volusia County to have something similar.
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“We didn’t have anything in our county codes for addressing sexual offenders and predators. It only restricts, I believe, 7 percent of the residency,” Robins said.
Criminal Defense Attorney Aaron Delgado understands the community wants to keep an eye on this population. However, he fears too many rules could lead to bigger problems.
“If you end up forcing them to live in the woods, or being homeless, or living in these crowded motels, I don’t think you are solving the problem. If anything, it’s more likely that they will go missing or they won’t be trackable,” said Delgado.
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Part of Robins’s proposal also creates designated children’s play areas at parks and uses funds to install surveillance cameras.
Robins believes it will make the parks cleaner and safer.
“Keeping it clean and keeping the drug dealers and bad people out and keeping the creeps that prey upon our children away from our children,” said Robins.
Click here to read the full ordinance.
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