[Adopted 6-2-1998 by L.L. No. 9-1998 (Ch. 419, Art. II,
of the 1985 Code)]
A.
This Legislature
hereby finds and determines that it has become necessary to promote
the health and welfare of Suffolk County residents and protect the
safety of its young people and their school environment.
B.
This Legislature
further finds that although box cutters are valuable tools if used
as intended, they can become weapons in the hands of those young people
who act outside the law.
C.
This Legislature
also determines that the very features that make box cutters practical
tools can also make them extremely dangerous when misused and, moreover,
their small size and packaging can make them prone to shoplifting
when offered for sale in an open display.
D.
This Legislature also finds that Article I of this chapter was adopted to prohibit individuals from carrying any weapons or dangerous instruments into buildings owned, leased and/or operated by the County.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any knife consisting of a razor blade, either retractable
or nonretractable, or detachable in segments, attached to or contained
within a plastic or metal housing, including but not limited to utility
knives, snap-off knives, sheetrock knives and box-cart cutters.
Any individual, natural person, partnership, joint venture,
society, association, club, corporation, unincorporated group of any
members, officers, directors or stockholders or any kind of personal
representative thereof, in any capacity, acting for himself or for
any other person, under either personal appointment or pursuant to
law, or any other entity or business organization of any kind.
That area designated as "school grounds," according to § 220.00,
Subdivision 14, of the New York Penal Law, meaning the area in or
within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground
or land contained within the real property boundary line of a public
or private elementary, parochial, intermediate, junior high, vocational
or high school, or any area accessible to the public located within
1,000 feet of the real property boundary line comprising any such
school or any parked automobile or other parked vehicle located within
1,000 feet of the real property boundary line comprising such school.
For the purposes of this section, an "area accessible to the public"
shall mean sidewalks, streets, parking lots, parks, playgrounds, stores,
restaurants, vacant or abandoned properties, public easements, utility
easements and drainage areas. The terms shall also include any vehicles
used for the transportation of students or personnel of the institutions
which are owned, operated or leased by such educational institutions
or owned, operated or leased by a person contracted to provide transportation
of students of such educational institutions.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer to sell, give
and/or provide, or cause another person to sell, offer to sell, give
and/or provide a box cutter to any individual who has not yet attained
the age of 18 years.
B.
Nothing in this section shall preclude an employer from temporarily
providing a minor employee with a box cutter, so long as the instrument
is used during the minor's course of employment and such instrument
is used only under the supervision of the employer or said employee's
agent.
Any person who sells or offers box cutters for sale shall place
such box cutters on display only if such items are:
A.
It shall be unlawful for any individual who has not yet attained
the age of 21 years to possess a box cutter while on school premises.
B.
Nothing in this section shall preclude the temporary transfer to
and/or use by an individual who has not yet attained 21 years of age
of a box cutter on school premises for a valid school-related purpose,
where such instrument is used only under the supervision of a school
staff person.
C.
Nothing in this section shall preclude the possession and/or use
of a box cutter on school premises by an individual who has not yet
attained 21 years of age, so long as such individual is performing
work on such premises during the course of his or her employment,
and such instrument is used only under the supervision of his or her
employer, said employee's agent or a school staff person.
Any person who willfully violates any provision of this article
shall, for the first offense, be guilty of a violation punishable
by a fine of not more than $250. A second or subsequent offense shall
be a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500
or three months' imprisonment, or both.
This article shall apply to any actions occurring on or after
the effective date of this article.
