Councilman Asks for Sex Offender Ban

Lake Forest is the latest in a growing number of Orange County cities to explore banning registered sex offenders from parks.

A new ordinance applicable in the county's unincorporated areas and implemented in May made it a misdemeanor for registered sex offenders to enter recreational areas where children regularly gather without permission from the sheriff's department.

Violations of the new law are punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine. The new law, however, does not apply to city-owned parks.

So on Tuesday, Lake Forest City Councilman Scott Voigts requested that the council consider putting a similar ordinance on Lake Forest's books.

"I think that as a city it would be wise for us to look into this," he told his colleagues.

He listed other Orange County cities that have recently pursued such ordinances, including neighboring Mission Viejo, which on Monday asked its city attorney to draft an ordinance similar to the Orange County law.

"There's some serious legal questions [about] those ordinances," Mayor Peter Herzog warned, but the council nevertheless agreed to place it on an upcoming agenda for discussion.

No further discussion about introducing such an ordinance in Lake Forest took place at Tuesday's meeting.

The cities of Westminster, La Habra and Los Alamitos have enacted city ordinances similar to that implemented by the county; Irvine implemented a partial ban in June.