What would you do? Request for thoughts/advice/opinions. (Read 733 times)

Found an interesting article that touches on a lot of the seemingly benign things that can get a person tagged as a sex-offender.

Of course there is the choking game ...

Density of sex offenders in population - Top 4

1)  Michigan

2)  Alaska

3)  Delaware

4)  Wisconsin

We have a registered offender (and spouse) who live about 1.5 miles away from my apartment. They live next to an at-home daycare. This is esepcially troubling, because their offense was something they did to one of their young children (who was then taken away from them). They are oddballs. I don't feel 100% safe running by their house. They seem to have lived there for years, though, and I might joke to others about them living there and I'd certainly caution people from approaching them, but I haven't started a campaign to make their lives miserable. (I almost started a campaign like this when a company built a bus stop in their front yard so that they could sell advertisements on it.)

An offender moved into my apartment complex. A small local paper is pretty vigilant about the local crime beat and they actually published a notice that one had moved into the area. This troubled my GF and I a bit. When we did an online search, we found there was even one already living in the apartment complex.

My #1 complaint is that places are either a) not doing background checks or b) not caring about them. I think it's well within your right to voice your concern to the landlords/leasing office that let the person move in and ask them what kind of environment they're trying to create for their tenants.

When it comes to whether or not to consider the person dangerous, I agree with all the others who say that it's a case-by-case thing. I have a friend whose wife does social work and he can point out offenders to me whenever we go somewhere. I'd say the clear majority of the ones I see in public present no danger at all. The problem is of course the definite bad apples and... when you bump into them outside of the public eye.

Odds are you're pretty safe if the person registered their change of address. It's the ones not showing up in the database that are often the problem.

You might call the local sherrif and see what their policy in your area is. We once had a deputy come to our door with a poster containing a  photo and info about a sex offender who was moving a mile or so down the road from us. (I found it somewhat unusual that the offender was female.)  Around here anywas it seems as though the various authorities put out info to the public. I suppose it varies by what level you are dealing with.

If I were you I would have an obligation within my ownself to step up and do 2-3 different things.  I would have to confront the offender to find out his side of the story.  This would lead me to my next steps.  I would then contact the local authority and ensure I was not violating any law when I tell people in my neighborhood (apartment complex).  We had a predator in one of my old neighborhoods and we as a community stepped up our community patrols and ended up catching the guy approaching some kids and having him arrested.  It was his 2nd offense.  I know he has already been convicted and served his time but I still would not want him caching my kids, watching my kids, or being in the laundry room alone with my wife.  So as for moral/ethical obligations I say the only one you really have is to get the info out there.  Same would hold true in my view if you had a convicted thief in your hood or a murderer or even a DUI offender.  All go hand in hand.

I have a theory about me that is much like once you are an alcoholic you are always an alcoholic.  I may be wrong for this as well but the person he assualted in a sexual nature as to live the rest of thier life with this so does he and finding a nice quiet peaceful place to live might just be one of those challenges.  But remember talk to him first to find out his side of the story and that will sway your actions in the right direction.

Just a word to the wise, and probably doesn't apply to the original poster but I have seen some sites that supposedly show where murders happened and sex offender residences etc. where you enter your zip code and it shows your area. I have done some of them for my area and the only ones living in that area were black angus cattle.........