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TARGETED ENFORCEMENT ZONES

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 19, art. X
in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-436 Official findings.

Sec. 19-436. - Official findings. (a) The City Council finds that there is an increasing use of public property within the City for the purpose of flagrant violations of the penal laws relating to prostitution. The Council also finds that such use continues even after the interdiction by police authorities, with repeated offenses often being committed by the same offenders in the same locations. (b) The Council finds that this situation seriously interferes with the health and welfare of the general public in the areas of quality of neighborhood life and environment, diminution of property values, safety of the public upon the streets and sidewalks, and increasing costs of law enforcement as a result of this illegal activity. (c) The Council, therefore, finds it in the public interest to authorize and empower the appropriate City officials to take corrective action to prevent the use of public areas as a marketplace for prostitution and to seek the cooperation of the courts in imposing restrictions on persons convicted of prostitution which would limit their access to certain public property for the purpose of engaging in dangerous, offensive, and illegal activity. (Code 1993, § 20-221; Code 2004, § 66-491; Code 2015, § 19-436; Code 2020, § 19-436)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-437 Definitions.

Sec. 19-437. - Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Adjudicated juvenile means a juvenile found by a court to be either a delinquent, a child in need of services, or a child in need of supervision pursuant to Code of Virginia, Title 16.1, Ch. 11, Art. 9 (Code of Virginia, § 16.1-278 et seq.). Bona fide resident means a person who has presented sufficient evidence to the court that the person owns, leases, or otherwise lawfully occupies as such person's primary residence a dwelling unit within a targeted enforcement zone. City courts, sentencing court and courts mean the City Circuit Court, City General District Court, and the City Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Court-ordered restriction means a court-imposed condition that is placed on an adjudicated juvenile or a person who has pleaded to or been convicted of a prostitution offense, which restricts the juvenile's or person's activity in a targeted enforcement zone for a mandatory period. Person convicted of prostitution means any person who has pleaded to or been convicted of a violation of Section 19-206 or Code of Virginia, § 18.2-346. Public area means any street, sidewalk, bridge, alley, alleyway, plaza, park, driveway, parking lot, public transportation facility, or a doorway or entranceway to any building which abuts any such area or inside a personal motor vehicle in or on any such place. Targeted enforcement zone means those public areas that have been designated and posted by the Chief of Police as locations that are the site of repeated and documented illicit prostitution activity. (Code 1993, § 20-222; Code 2004, § 66-492; Code 2015, § 19-437; Code 2020, § 19-437; Ord. No. 2006-206-228, § 1, 9-11-2006)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-438 Designation of zone.

Sec. 19-438. - Designation of zone. (a) The Chief of Police may designate certain public areas within the City as a targeted enforcement zone for a period not to exceed 12 consecutive months. Such designations shall be in writing and supported by data and any other relevant information that assist the Chief of Police in making the determination, including, but not limited to, the following factors: (1) Those areas where the number of arrests for illegal activity for the 12-month period preceding the designation is significantly higher than other similarly sized areas of the City; (2) Those areas where there is objective evidence or verifiable information that shows that solicitation for prostitution is occurring on public areas within the area; or (3) Those areas where the Chief of Police can verify with other reliable information that the health and welfare of residents who live therein is disrupted by criminal activity. (b) The Chief of Police shall notify the City Council, the City courts and the police precinct commanders of the boundaries of all targeted enforcement zones. In addition, the area which has been designated shall be conspicuously posted with signs identifying it as a targeted enforcement zone. (Code 1993, § 20-223; Code 2004, § 66-493; Code 2015, § 19-438; Code 2020, § 19-438; Ord. No. 2006-206-228, § 1, 9-11-2006)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-439 Restrictions.

Sec. 19-439. - Restrictions. (a) Upon the recommendation to a court by the Attorney for the Commonwealth or upon a court's own motion, a court within the City may utilize the boundaries of targeted enforcement zones as the basis for imposing restrictions upon an adjudicated juvenile or a convicted person. Any person who is restricted from entry into any targeted enforcement zone shall be given, as part of such person's sentence, a written description of the boundaries of the targeted enforcement zones. (b) A sentencing court may grant exceptions or vary the restrictions imposed on an adjudicated juvenile or a convicted person based upon relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following factors: (1) The person is a bona fide resident of the targeted enforcement zone prior to exclusion by the court; (2) The person is a bona fide owner, principal or employee of a place of employment located in one of the designated targeted enforcement zones; (3) The person must conduct business with a governmental office or medical facility in the targeted enforcement zone; or (4) The person desires to attend a house of worship in the designated targeted enforcement zone. (Code 1993, § 20-224; Code 2004, § 66-494; Code 2015, § 19-439; Code 2020, § 19-439; Ord. No. 2006-206-228, § 1, 9-11-2006)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-440 Unlawful entry on public property.

Sec. 19-440. - Unlawful entry on public property. It shall be unlawful for a person convicted of a prostitution offense who is the subject of a court-ordered restriction to enter or be upon those public areas in a targeted enforcement zone, unless the court has authorized an exception as provided in Section 19-439. (Code 1993, § 20-225; Code 2004, § 66-495; Code 2015, § 19-440; Code 2020, § 19-440; Ord. No. 2006-206-228, § 1, 9-11-2006)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-441 Violations.

Sec. 19-441. - Violations. Violations of this article shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Code 1993, § 20-225; Code 2004, § 66-496; Code 2015, § 19-441; Code 2020, § 19-441)
Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH19OFMIPR_ARTXTAENZOFetched: 11/8/2026

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