Putnam County is a small collection of towns just north of New York City, often overlooked by their larger and more prosperous neighbors Westchester or Dutchess counties. But they've just signed into law one of the toughest laws covering sex offenders on the books.
Putnam County wants to give them no breathing room, barring them from being 2,500 feet (almost half a mile ) from a school, playground, large apartment complex or "anywhere children congregate." And even as the County Executive signed this law he acknowledged that it seems a little severe to him. And of course the ACLU and others are gearing up to fight it.
But is it too tough? While I like to think that I'm open minded, and that too much government is a bad thing. But you know what? When it comes to protecting children, I don't give a crap about all of that! I like the idea that convicted sex offenders can't be within a half mile of kids.
You could litterally sneeze and miss Putnam County as you drive north on the highways, but while it lasts, they've got the right idea. I'm sure that in short order some judge will strike the law down as unconstitutional but for a short peroid of time the children of this suburban New York county will be a little safer.
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