Help Keep Your Kids Safe from Sex Offenders

Recent reports of young children and teenagers being molested and even killed by registered sex offenders have many parents worried about the safety of their own sons and daughters.

Patrick Fiel, public safety advisor for ADT Security Services, said caution is extremely appropriate now, but there is no need to panic.

“Kids have to be able to live fun, normal lives, but as parents, guardians and grandparents, there are some things that we can do to help protect our children from predators,” he said.

Here are some tips that he offered.

• Be aware of where registered sex offenders live. You might be surprised to see that several of the nation’s more than 700,000 registered offenders are living near your home. You can find the names, pictures, addresses and convictions of offenders by zip code in detailed maps here.

• Talk with local, state and federal officials and demand they pass strict laws keeping sex offenders away from schools, parks, libraries and other areas where children study and play. Also ask for stricter GPS monitoring of offenders once they are released.

• Safe passage for children and students to walk to and from school is clearly a must for all communities. They should be escorted at all times. Recommend to your local law enforcement to be more vigilant during these peak hours.

• Ask your school officials to install visitor management systems that can identify registered sex offenders immediately.

• Since some children and teenagers have been abducted from their own bedrooms, be sure to keep your doors locked – even while at home – and install a monitored home alarm system.

“And don’t forget some of the old basics such as knowing where your children are at all times, having them call home every hour or so and setting strict curfews,” Fiel said. “Also, talk with your children about sex offenders. Don’t scare them, but let them know they also are responsible for staying safe.”
 

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