Poll: Should Sex Offenders Be Banned From Public Places?

The Attleboro City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of a new ordinance that bans Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from entering city-owned buildings and property, including libraries and parks.

The measure wasn't without much debate. City leaders banged heads on the issue for months, while local residents also sparred on the topic Those involved often questioned whether the proposed ordinance was a step toward keeping children safe, or was simply a "false safety net" that wouldn't actually prevent incidents from occurring.

At a meeting earlier this month, several local parents debated these points, with mother Candace Shepard saying she felt the ordinance would give more power to do something about offenders hanging out at areas in the city where there are children. Meanwhile, resident Paul Heroux noted that sex offenders "are not waiting in the book stacks at the or waiting in the park to jump out of the bush and kidnap a kid and doing horrible things to that child. They are meeting the kids online and developing a trust with a child, a trust they can exploit."

We want to know: Do you think bans that keeps sex offenders out of public places are a way to keep children safe? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments section below.