A law prohibiting registered sex offenders in Orange from answering their doors to trick-or-treating children on Halloween was approved 5-0 by the City Council Tuesday night.
The law, if enacted as expected by a second council vote, would also:
• Require sex offenders to post a sign on their residences stating that no candy or treats are available on Halloween.
• Make sex offenders leave off all exterior lights of their homes during the Halloween evening.
• Keep sex offenders from decorating their residences with Halloween decorations.
Councilman Jon Dumitru said the law would apply to 66 of the 81 registered sex offenders living in Orange, because those 66 have offenses against minors.
“It came down to a simple thing: Halloween is child-driven event,” Dumitru said. “As children are walking with their parents on Halloween, they’re re not aware of sex offenders.”
Dumitru said the new law is a companion piece to one the Orange council passed in 2008. That law restricts how many registered sex offenders can live in a hotel and bans them from loitering near places where children gather.
The Halloween law is the first of its kind in Orange County, Dumitru said.
“Once again, the city of Orange will lead the way in protecting children in the county,” the councilman said.
The penalties for violating the law are up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to a year in jail, according to a city staff report.
City Attorney David DeBerry said there are other cities across the country, as well as the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, that have similar laws regarding Halloween and registered sex offenders. The Department of Corrections law affects parolees in the state.
Contact the writer: 714-704-3704 or efields@ocregister.com
To see more news stories about Orange, go the OrangeCityWatch.com, a Register Web site on the town.
Lutheran High School of Orange County will perform a comedic stage play, “Stage Door,” Friday through Sunday at the Nechita Center for the Arts at 2222 N. Santiago Blvd.
The Villa Park Community Services Foundation, a volunteer organization that raises funds for annual activities, is conducting a survey on the level of interest in a park or community center in the city.
The small congregation of seniors that make up New Faith Fellowship of Orange County have been the largest contributor year after year to Mary’s Kitchen in Orange, a volunteer organization that provides food and services to the homeless.
Chapman University has finished repainting its auditorium’s ornate proscenium arch to it’s 1920s-era decorative scheme.
Even though the Orange Police Department sent a message to residents via e-mail to beware of false census takers, neither the police nor U.S. Census Bureau officials believe there is cause for residents to worry.
“We never ask for Social Security numbers or any other financial information,” Blanco said. “Our job is to count the entire population of the United States to ensure that your community receives its fair share of government funding for roads and hospitals.”
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