Fresno City Council supports barring sex offenders from Council Chambers

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A convicted enactment offender sat successful the Fresno City Hall Council Chambers connected Thursday arsenic schoolhouse children were present, and now, councilmembers are trying to forestall it from happening again.

"I don't springiness a damn astir enactment offenders oregon their rights," councilmember Mike Karbassi said. "I privation to beryllium existent wide astir that."

The City Council voted during the gathering to enactment a authorities measure to barroom registered enactment offenders from holding nationalist office.

Councilmember Nick Richardson took it a measurement further, asking if they should beryllium allowed wrong City Hall astatine all.

"If this is designated a spot frequented by minors ... past that's incumbent connected america arsenic a assembly to instrumentality work for the gathering and the information of the radical successful it," Richardson told Action News.

The determination follows registered enactment offender Rene Campos' effort to tally for Fresno City Council.

Campos was convicted of possessing kid intersexual maltreatment worldly successful 2018. He pleaded nary contention to a misdemeanor charge.

On Thursday, helium spoke earlier the chamber.

"I'm not present arsenic a candidate," Campos said. "I'm present arsenic a voter."

Campos, who ne'er got capable signatures to suffice for the ballot, told the assembly that their actions are astir control.

"You are enhancing safety?" Campos asked. "You're not. You are redefining access, and the nationalist tin spot the difference."

The authorities measure inactive needs to go law, and a justice would person to measurement in; however, Richardson is already considering imaginable enforcement.

"We're strictly giving absorption to the City Attorney's bureau to look into the legality and constitutionality of what measures we tin instrumentality to see thing that is facial designation astatine entrance[s]," Richardson said.

That proposition comes amid increasing interest implicit camera systems tracking parking tons and intersections.

"This means AI tin travel you astir the city," said 1 resident. "It tin travel me. They tin travel you. It's similar having a backstage researcher walking 2 oregon 3 steps down you, making notes connected everything you do."

In turn, Richardson pointed retired that the Council Chambers are already a nationalist space, with galore cameras.

"I would urge not sitting successful a country that is perpetually filmed for the grounds for each of eternity," helium said.

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