This week's "Works For Me" is on a more serious note-
Sex Offenders.
We all want our kids to be safe, so let's empower ourselves as much as possible by educating ourselves as much as possible- Do you know who the registered offenders are in your town?
It is very easy to look up. I have listed the FBI's site so that you can find your state's link.
Here are just a few personal tips from me, the Queen of Protecting Kids (you have no idea!-but you will soon find out how neurotic I am on this subject!!)
1. List/Bookmark your state's Sex Offender Registry in your computer's favorites.
2. Check the site, at least monthly. Most sites are updated regularly. These people move, and when they do actually comply and register their new address, you need to know it.
3. If your state does not provide a photo of the offenders, or if the site is not easy to navigate, contact law enforcement, write a letter to your state representative, or whatever you have to do to change that. We need to be able to see the offenders' faces. Names are not enough.
4. In addition to knowing who lives in your neighborhood, close to your kids' school (you will be amazed at how close they can legally live to a school), learn the faces. You may see an offender every week at the grocery store and not even know it. For example, a dear friend of mine had hired an independent contractor to install a fence for her. Her husband was away on business for weeks. She later found out that the man she had hired to install her fence was a registered sex offender. You can imagine the sick feeling in her stomach when she saw his photo.
5. Please remember that the information provided is not for us to harass the registered offender. If we abuse the information, one day the law could change so that we do not have access to it at all.
6. Last, but not least, don't be afraid of every stranger on the street. We need to tune in to our intuitions and trust our instincts. If we are afraid of every strange man on the street, we will not know when or how to read a real fear that comes along. Stay informed! Stay safe!
Check the FBI's site to find your state's registry- http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm
3 comments:
So sad and sick that we have to do this, but you're right. We just had a huge occurence here in Canada with this and as a parent you need to stay informed!
The fact of the matter is you just never know. My husband's brother is back in prison for violating parole when he left the state and came to stay with his sister and her family. The family did not know the real reason for his imprisonment in the first place, but when a friend of their mom's saw his picture on the internet, she informed their mom who turned him in. Small towns are no safer than big cities.
And the best protection...pray for God's protection over your family.
Thanks for the reminders to be cautious!
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