Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Onorato signs sex offenders law - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Onorato signs sex offenders law - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato today signed into law an ordinance that prohibits registered sexual offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school, child care center, community center, public park or playground.
How will this be enforced? You bet that there are questions.

Questions of enforcement are everywhere.

Plus, we have 'grandfathered' sex offenders. That is an interesting concept.

The distance of 2,500 feet is more than 800 yards. That is about a half a mile in distance.

I'd love to see a map that marks circles around all the schools, child care centers, community centers, parks and playgrounds. These circles would stretch out 2,500 feet from those facilities.

This is a project for Google Maps after the election cycle ends.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is similar to the rediculous sentencing guidlines which jack up the penalties and manditory minimums if drugs are sold "near" schools. It is almost impossible to stand on dry land in the City of Pittsburgh and NOT be within 1000 feet of a school, much less 2,500.

Not only should this ordinance be struck down because it is pre-empted by state law, it is
also unconstitutional as hell. Let's hope there are still judges left on our higher couts, and not politicians who think of their retention chances (like Saylor and Melvin).

I guess councilmen will not vote "no" because it will make them appear soft on crime in the eyes of voters. I wish voters would punish office holders who are soft on sanity.

Mark Rauterkus said...

The bill passed. Onorato signed it.