Tobacco limits, fingerprints

Among the decisions made by Special Town Meeting voters Tuesday were to approve restrictions on the sale of tobacco, and allowing police to take and share fingerprints from certain license holders. The new tobacco bylaw, which was passed unanimously, will ban sales in drug stores and other health-related operations, as well as educational institutions. The fingerprinting rule will allow police to check the FBI’s national databases when doing civil background checks on antiques dealers, those who sell liquor, taxi drivers, and ice cream truck vendors. Opponents noted that the data could include arrests as well as convictions, and that the collected fingerprints could be used in criminal investigations or shared with other government departments, such as US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Police Chief Daniel O’Leary said his department would like to be able to prevent convicted sex offenders from driving taxis in town, and to prevent those convicted in other states of trafficking in stolen goods from opening secondhand shops or used-car dealerships. The measure passed narrowly, 106 to 97. - Andreae Downs