WHO LIVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
Feb 10, 2006
For the last two days, we've told you what's being done to protect society from sex offenders. Aaron Kunz has tonight's report.
There are times when offenders live in a neighborhood with children and the parents have no idea. There is no law that says they can't. Offenders have the right to live where they want, provided it isn't near a school or playground. So what can neighbors do?
For years, Greg Helm lived in his Pocatello neighborhood, never knowing that a convicted sex offender lived just a few houses away.
"So as I was looking at the state's website, I noticed that two doors down from where my child - who, at that point, was seven years old - was playing was a known sex offender that had done a crime against a child under the age of 16."
Newly armed with information, Helm asked his neighbor, who had kids, whether he knew he had a sex offender living two houses away.
"He himself had no idea that he had a sex offender living that close to his own home."
Plenty of information about sex offenders is online, like familywatchdog.us, which tells the user how many offenders live in a city or neighborhood. It even gives the user pictures of the offenders and the crime or crimes they have committed. But Helm says that's still not enough.
"A lot of people still do not have internet access. And a lot of people who have internet access are not as, you would say, internet savvy as they need to be."
Helm suggests parents be proactive, find out who lives nearby, and share that information with others.
"We have to take a very proactive approach, as opposed to a reactive approach, to how we are going to manage sexual predators in every community."
The State Probation and Parole Office here in Idaho says most offenders aren't likely to re-offend. But Helm worries about the ones that could.
Reporter: "At what point do you weigh being a good parent and being a vigilante?"
Greg Helm, parent: "Well, I'm not being a vigilante, but I'm being proactive in the protection of my child. A vigilante would make sure to go out and put flags on guys' front doors and let everyone know... and that doesn't need to be done."
Coming up next week, we'll explore mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenders. Are they necessary and what needs to be done to make that happen?
Feb 10, 2006
For the last two days, we've told you what's being done to protect society from sex offenders. Aaron Kunz has tonight's report.There are times when offenders live in a neighborhood with children and the parents have no idea. There is no law that says they can't. Offenders have the right to live where they want, provided it isn't near a school or playground. So what can neighbors do?
For years, Greg Helm lived in his Pocatello neighborhood, never knowing that a convicted sex offender lived just a few houses away.
"So as I was looking at the state's website, I noticed that two doors down from where my child - who, at that point, was seven years old - was playing was a known sex offender that had done a crime against a child under the age of 16."
Newly armed with information, Helm asked his neighbor, who had kids, whether he knew he had a sex offender living two houses away.
"He himself had no idea that he had a sex offender living that close to his own home."
Plenty of information about sex offenders is online, like familywatchdog.us, which tells the user how many offenders live in a city or neighborhood. It even gives the user pictures of the offenders and the crime or crimes they have committed. But Helm says that's still not enough.
"A lot of people still do not have internet access. And a lot of people who have internet access are not as, you would say, internet savvy as they need to be."
Helm suggests parents be proactive, find out who lives nearby, and share that information with others.
"We have to take a very proactive approach, as opposed to a reactive approach, to how we are going to manage sexual predators in every community."
The State Probation and Parole Office here in Idaho says most offenders aren't likely to re-offend. But Helm worries about the ones that could.
Reporter: "At what point do you weigh being a good parent and being a vigilante?"
Greg Helm, parent: "Well, I'm not being a vigilante, but I'm being proactive in the protection of my child. A vigilante would make sure to go out and put flags on guys' front doors and let everyone know... and that doesn't need to be done."
Coming up next week, we'll explore mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenders. Are they necessary and what needs to be done to make that happen?
posted by Richy at 9:28 AM
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