Post by Logan on Apr 17, 2016 5:26:22 GMT -6
Following the arrest of a local locksmith and registered sex offender, local lawmakers introduced a bill into the state House of Representatives on Thursday, seeking to regulate the lock and key industry.
The proposed bill bars convicted sex offenders from the industry, requires all locksmiths to obtain a license to practice through the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, and makes successfully passing a criminal background check mandatory, among other guidelines.
“I think it would mean greater peace of mind for the public,” Rep. Greg Duckworth of North Myrtle Beach, the primary writer of the bill, said. “It’s not about setting a super high bar [locksmiths] have to achieve. It’s just more or less a background check that we’re advocating for, and I think most people in that industry feel good about that too because it only helps strengthen the public’s confidence in them.”
Local locksmiths and lawmakers alike expressed outrage about the lack of regulations in the industry in the Palmetto State after convicted sex offender Panteleimon “Peter” Spirakis, former owner of Phil’s Lock and Key in North Myrtle Beach, was arrested in March in connection with sex crimes against two 4-year-old children.
Read more here: www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article72244587.html
The proposed bill bars convicted sex offenders from the industry, requires all locksmiths to obtain a license to practice through the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, and makes successfully passing a criminal background check mandatory, among other guidelines.
“I think it would mean greater peace of mind for the public,” Rep. Greg Duckworth of North Myrtle Beach, the primary writer of the bill, said. “It’s not about setting a super high bar [locksmiths] have to achieve. It’s just more or less a background check that we’re advocating for, and I think most people in that industry feel good about that too because it only helps strengthen the public’s confidence in them.”
Local locksmiths and lawmakers alike expressed outrage about the lack of regulations in the industry in the Palmetto State after convicted sex offender Panteleimon “Peter” Spirakis, former owner of Phil’s Lock and Key in North Myrtle Beach, was arrested in March in connection with sex crimes against two 4-year-old children.
Read more here: www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article72244587.html