DeBary ordinance expands sex offender regulations
If you reside in DeBary and are being told you need to move from your home, please contact [email protected]
DeBary’s City Council passed an ordinance expanding regulations over registered sex offenders.
The ordinance bans registered sex offenders from community pools, water parks, school bus stops, and other private and public areas. The ordinance also increases the distance sex offenders can live from these places.
The previous ordinance kept sex offenders 1,000 feet away from parks, schools, bus stops, and other areas you can find children. Now, the distance is 2,500 feet.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood says he worked with community members to update the ordinance after people voiced concerns. He says registered sex offenders in violation of the ordinance must move.
“You better read this ordinance, before you rent to somebody and do a background check,” Sheriff Chitwood said, “because they’ll be relocated now with this ordinance. There’s no grandfathering-in or anything.”
The ordinance took effect upon approval. Sheriff Chitwood hopes surrounding cities will also update their sex offender ordinances.
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I appreciate all of the positive comments and encouragement from FAC members and agree whole-heartedly with these people. Ordinances, such as the one passed by the DeBary City Council, are not so upsetting to me, though, as the comments made by the leaders of these and other communities. The harshness can be overwhelming. But I agree with others who say we need to put all of this behind us and move on with a positive attitude, seeking to do whatever good we can in these situations. It seems that the only way any progress can be made in the state of Florida is through the courts. That is why I continue to give what I can monetarily to the lawsuits being brought by FAC against these municipalities/counties, and encourage others who have the funds to do so.
I see lawsuits coming, as soon as they ask someone to leave their homes, because of a (feels Good to do) if they haven’t had any issues, why start one ?
I have had my windows shot out, All the neighbors bring their dogs to my yard to do their business. I have had my mail stolen ( By the mailman ) Have had people knock on my door and tell me to move who didn’t even live on my street. I refused to move so over the years those neighbors moved. I have been at this house 25+ years and am not moving. The neighbors who stayed either do not judge me, put up with me or hate me. I have one neighbor who stares at my house every time she passes like she is going to catch me performing a lewd act at the window when she drives by.
Another publicly elected Sheriff advancing his career and political ambitions off the backs of societies most vulnerable to injustice by politicizing, and creating hysteria and fear among the public allowing unconstitutional laws, and paranoia to continue to ignore reason, logic fact based data to the contrary.
What “people” have expressed the “concerns” he states are the reason for this new banishment ordinance? Who are they? What are they “concerned” about. Did they ask for this new law knowing the devastation it would cause by uprooting offenders and making them move, and to where can they go, except the streets? what are their reasons for these “concerns”?
Have there been numerous crimes committed in the areas that are now forbidden necessitating this new ordinance?
Why is he advising surrounding cities to “update” their sex offender ordinances, with no knowledge if they are needed outside his jurisdiction?
Another case of a Sheriff bound to uphold the constitution, and treat all of his constituents justly, and fairly, knowingly breaking his vows, ignoring reason and logic, along with the complicit law makers doing the same, knowing no one will care, including most judges or juries in repealing the unconstitutional laws, all to advance themselves for political gain.
Last year when he was off duty, he got caught carrying a gun concealed while going through a TSA check point. They gave him a pass even though he was not on duty and was not carrying the gun for work nor did he declare it but just forgot.
On the other hand, a hard working American who has a concealed weapon and simply forgets does not get to return to their car with the gun but is arrested and has their license revoked and become a felon.
Double Standards
Sheriff Mike Chitwood should be sued in this too.
“There’s no grandfathering-in or anything”
so if a RS has been living in the same house for 20 years,regaurdless if they own or rent, they will have to move because of this new ordnance ? I dont see how that can be legal .
wheres the aclu ??
Find us one plaintiff who has been told to move and we will facilitate a lawsuit.
According to FDLE, there are 24 persons required to register with an address in DeBary, although it’s not clear how many of these people actually reside within the city limits. So the city council in a municipality of over 20,000 people passed an ordinance that will affect at most only two dozen people or 0.12% of the population. This looks like a targeted hit. It’s therefore similar to a bill of attainder, which both the Florida and United States Constitutions explicitly prohibit. The Maine Supreme Court struck down a sex offender restriction law on the grounds that it was a bill of attainder in 2015 (Doe v. Anderson, 108 A.3d 378 Me. 2015).