In January 2011, the City of North Richland Hills passed Ordinance #3125, which regulates the area where certain registered sex offenders may live.
Restrictions
- Convicted/adjudicated sex offenders whose victims were younger than 17 years of age are prohibited from residing within a 1,000 feet protected area.
- A person is prohibited from allowing a convicted/adjudicated sex offender whose victim was younger than 17 years of age to reside within 1,000 feet of a protected area.
While the ordinance will not regulate the daily movements of these offenders within the 1,000-foot safety zone, it does restrict them from residing within a 1,000 feet of a protected area. The 1,000-foot boundaries are established from property lines. Ordinance #3125 also indicates that nobody will be required to sell or dispose of any real estate as a result of the ordinance.
Identified protected areas include:
- parks
- swimming pools
- daycare facilities
| - arcade and gaming businesses
- schools
- family entertainment sites
|
Defenses
There are five defenses to prosecution stipulated in the ordinance:
- Offender resided at the location prior to ordinance adoption.
- Offender was a minor at the time of offense & conviction.
- Offender is a minor.
- The protected area opened after the offender established legal residency.
- The information on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website was incorrect.
For more information, contact the North Richland Hills Police Department: 817-427-7039 or
817-427-7030, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Additional information is available
online from the TxDPS Crime Records Service.