A New Idea in Restricting Sex Offenders

Once most people have accepted that sex offenders can have their residency restricted, it is only a matter of time before the envelope gets pushed further.  A helpful reader sent this proposal to me:

Now city councilors in New Bedford are trying to protect kids by keeping sex offenders out of public buildings after police said a child was raped at a library.

NewsCenter 5's Bianca de la Garza reported Friday that Corey Saunders, a homeless Level 3 sex offender, was charged with raping a 6-year-old boy who was at the library with his mother.

City councilors are now calling for safety zones around schools and libraries and are seeking to ban all Level 2 and 3 sex offenders from public buildings.

I just don't know what to say sometimes.  All public buildings?  You would think PUBLIC buildings would be the safest areas for children.  Maybe there could be problems in a library (as the article mentions), but how are courthouses, police stations, post offices, and city halls danger areas? 

Comments

[ZMan]

Yes, this is totally idiotic. This includes police stations, drivers license places, grocery stores, bars, gas stations, you name it.

WHY DON'T THEY JUST SAY "YOU MUST STAY IN YOUR HOME AND NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING UNTIL YOU DIE?"

Same thing!!!!!

[Terrie]

I work in libraries. The kid may have arrived with his mom, but I doubt she was anywhere near him when this happened. The real problem is people who treat libraries like day care centers. Many libraries now have policies that require them to call the police if children are left alone in a library and are under a certain age. What other place would even need such a policy in place?

[America land of the free?]

HELLO, 1 homeless, Level 3 sex offender, was charged with raping a 6-year-old boy who was at the library with his mother. NOT 629,000 people caught up in the registries. Again punishing all citizens listed with no discrepancy of age or likelihood of dangerousness or re offense. Again, it is outrages to base any law or ordinance on the actions of 1 very sick homeless LEVEL 3 SEX OFFENDERS. The laws that exist are forcing many past offenders to be homeless and unemployed. Don't you think he should be working and paying taxes, like the rest of us, who are too busy and too tired to even find time to go the library. Maybe, If this man was getting some support with treatment, job training and rehabilitation, there would have been one less child harmed and one less man in our famous penal system. One less grandstanding, politician making blanket laws that are counter productive and ARE creating more problems.