Locking up pedophiles on Halloween

[disneymom3]

So, it isn't your problem but should be other folks problems, even though they've done nothing wrong?

So are you saying you would rather not KNOW that the convicted sex offender is living across the street from you so it doesn't affect your property value???? I have to be misunderstanding what you are saying here.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

You can lock up every registered sex offender on the planet - the threat to our children will still exist, the creeps that haven't been caught will still be out there. New ones are hatched every day. Like someone said earlier, supervise your kids, don't let them trick or treat alone, and you don't have much to worry about.

 

[Chuck S]

So are you saying you would rather not KNOW that the convicted sex offender is living across the street from you so it doesn't affect your property value???? I have to be misunderstanding what you are saying here.

What I am saying is this, not every "registered sex offender" is a danger to society, many are, as previous posters have stated, consensual relationships that later went bad. Some may not even be true, but no matter. Once that tag is on someone, the state publishes their location and the surrounding homes drop in value.

How can you say that innocent homeowners are not being hurt/punished financially, since the value of their investment is compromised? Seems very unfair to those affected, perhaps the government should provide a tax break, or somehow provide a price support to the surrounding homeowner when a property is sold, as the drop in price is directly related to the law requiring the addresses be published. The homeowners have no say in whether a "sex offender" lives next door, or across he street. Other than locations close to schools etc, sex offender have the right to live where they please, regardless on their impact on innocent neighbors. But we do have input on other things like hazardous waste facilities and power plants going into our neighborhoods that adversely affect propety value, so why not sex offenders?

Oh, and speaking of that, we may NEVER know where a LOT (estimate several thousand) of convicted sex offenders are, FEMA lost track of them during the Katrina and Rita evacuations. And knowing where these crimials live does NOT mean children WILL be safe...parents STILL must be responsible for their children.

 

[RobinMarie]

I think people have this image of sex offenders waiting to give out candy to unsuspecting kids on Halloween.

The stories that I have heard and read about include people who were well respected members of the community. Heck, parents HANDED their kids over to them to take them on boy scout camping trips, athletic competitions and the like.

Best defense: supervise your children, and teach them what to do in situations.

 

[disneymom3]

Chuck, I just wanted to say that I do agree with you that property values are effected. I am not the person who said they weren't. However, I still want to know if a known sex offender moves into my neighborhood. AND, we have personal experience with this. We were notified about a year after moving into our house that a couple of blocks away a level 3 offender was moving in. I was not happy and yeah, one of the first things we said--after freaking out for a little while--was "We are never gonna be able to sell this house!!" Absolutely nothing we could do to prevent the situation or hardly even respond to it. At the public hearing or whatever you call it when they are informing the community, we found out that he had only offended against women and had basically just flashed people and never had physical contact. The reason he was classified as level 3 was because the levels are not an indication of how serious the crime they committed was, it is their level of likelihood to reoffend. So, yeah, I get what you are saying. Someone is going to go on that website our state has, see a Level 3 offender lives in the neighborhood and go, no way no how am I buying that house.

Still, I would rather know than not know. He got rearrested for exposing himself to a woman in Walmart about 3 months later BTW so he's gone now.

 

[sha_lyn]

Parents DO watch, but do you know the home of every single pedophile in your county? It is a very easy mistake to make, and it will be made by someone. I personally, think this is a great idea.

Yes I do, and you should too.
Everyone in the country has access to a list of registered sexual offenders in their neighborhood.

 

[graygables]

Yes I do, and you should too.
Everyone in the country has access to a list of registered sexual offenders in their neighborhood.

I'll tell you what...look up Frederick, MD and you will NOT find my ex on the list. He's been covered and protected by the Army and the police, so you do NOT have the address of every offender.

 

[phillybeth]

The reason he was classified as level 3 was because the levels are not an indication of how serious the crime they committed was, it is their level of likelihood to reoffend. So, yeah, I get what you are saying. Someone is going to go on that website our state has, see a Level 3 offender lives in the neighborhood and go, no way no how am I buying that house.

Thank you for helping to prove my point- that not every sex offender is dangerous to children, or dangerous to the community in general.
Locking up every sex offender on Halloween is a knee-jerk reaction that does NOTHING to ensure the saftey of children.

 

[phillybeth]

Yes I do, and you should too.
Everyone in the country has access to a list of registered sexual offenders in their neighborhood.

Ah, but how about the ones that haven't been caught? How about the ones that were in first-time offender programs and got their records expunged? How about the ones that haven't even offended yet?
Where do they live?

 

[RobinMarie]

Ah, but how about the ones that haven't been caught? How about the ones that were in first-time offender programs and got their records expunged? How about the ones that haven't even offended yet?
Where do they live?

Excellent points and reasons why locking up known offenders on Halloween does not ensure safety.

 

[sha_lyn]

I'll tell you what...look up Frederick, MD and you will NOT find my ex on the list. He's been covered and protected by the Army and the police, so you do NOT have the address of every offender.

So if it is covered up, and he isn't registered, then he would not be locked up on halloween then would he? Exactly the point many are trying to make. Locking up registered offenders is creating a false sense of security.

Ah, but how about the ones that haven't been caught? How about the ones that were in first-time offender programs and got their records expunged? How about the ones that haven't even offended yet?
Where do they live?

do you even realize you just made my point, because you took my post out of context? By knowing where the registered offenders live, my children are safer from them than if they were locked up on halloween, because I am not giving into a false sense of security.

My response was directed to those in favor of locking up REGISTERED OFFENDERS on halloween. Asking if knew where the REGISTERED OFFENDERS live. The point the other poster was trying to make was they should be locked up, because no one could know where all the REGISTERED OFFENDERS lived.

 

[disneymom3]

Thank you for helping to prove my point- that not every sex offender is dangerous to children, or dangerous to the community in general.
Locking up every sex offender on Halloween is a knee-jerk reaction that does NOTHING to ensure the saftey of children.

Yep you are right. And FWIW I am one who said I thought it infringed on their rights. (Even though I don't think that people who molest children should ever be let out.) At its worst, the locking up thing is going to provide a false sense of security.

And DD9 wonders why when she asked when she could go out trick or treating without DH and I, I said never.

 

[Planogirl]

And DD9 wonders why when she asked when she could go out trick or treating without DH and I, I said never.

I can relate. And then luckily, they outgrow trick or treating when they become too old to be watched. Or at least, most of them do.

I also wonder, isn't an awfully high percentage of offenders family members or friends?

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I also wonder, isn't an awfully high percentage of offenders family members or friends?

From: The U.S. Department of Justice - Bureau of Justice Statistics

During 2004 --

About seven in ten female rape or sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance.

 

[Planogirl]

From: The U.S. Department of Justice - Bureau of Justice Statistics

During 2004 --

About seven in ten female rape or sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance.

THAT, to me, is much more frightening than expecting a sex offender to be lurking behind every door in the neighborhood. These people are way more dangerous IMO.

 

[jenm2878]

They can't be locked up forever (unless serving a life sentence).
Why don't we ask parents to actually watch their children while trick or treating. Is that such a foreign concept?

I was wondering myself why children would be out alone.

 

[Planogirl]

In our area, kids around the age of 9 and older go out without parents but they go out in groups. I have mixed feelings about that but I suppose if the group is large then it's probably OK.

Teenagers show up too but I never see them alone either.

 

[jenm2878]

But, pedophiles have the highest repeat offender rate of any crime. Problem is, they LIKE what they do! I have no problem with a law like this--personally, I think that, as a society, we've long been too easy on criminals who prey on children. The typical child molester has 200-300 victims! You can't tell me the typical criminal comes anywhere near that.

While I understand the whole "liberties" point of view, I respectfully disagree-we're talking about convicted felons here, not every person or those who have been accused and been cleared (or not stood trial yet--innocent until proven guilty). If there aren't laws that prevent a CONVICTED child molester from ever being around kids, there should be--all the time, not just on Halloween (when the pickings are easy).

I too agree with the emotion, but opinions and emotions don't dictate the law. I feel those who torture/abuse animals should be put away - usually they get a fine and just go out and get another pet. (I'm not comparing animal abuse to child molesting (other then to say they are both horrific acts) just pointing out that opinions and law enforcing are very different things.)