Family Watchdog - have ya'll heard of this?

[Cristy 4]

They are everywhere. I think those give people a false sense of security. Just because they are not on the map or have not been caught does not mean they are not living near you.

[Welshcookie 17]

584 within 5 miles

DAMN!!!......I feel better now....

I feel it's the other way round here....we aren't given the info so we tend not to think about it at all....

They are everywhere. I think those give people a false sense of security. Just because they are not on the map or have not been caught does not mean they are not living near you.

[Velvettt 0]

Whoaaaaaa! Be aware, be alert, but don't get all freaked out. There's no distinction in the definition of "sex offenders" yet, so that pervert living near you might have been convicted of rape or child molestation or urinating in a public park.

Just last month here in San Antonio, a man was arrested for indecent exposure. His crime? He was in his LIVING ROOM and walking around naked. His neighbour walked by and saw him through the window. What we really, really need is a sliding scale for the sex offender lists, or at least a category breakdown.

That being said, if you do click on a sex offender shown near you, you can see what his conviction was for. I'm quite curious as to why the vast majority of San Antonio sex offenders are grouped in the west and south sides: the poorer sections.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Velvettt

[JAYKE 0]

I'm not sure whether I agree with this or not. Names is one thing, but home addresses being linked like that bothers me, hugely.

Yes, I too have issue with this. The issue is that these stay on someone's record FOREVER, as does their photo. So, for example, an 18 year old boy who has sex with his 16 year old girlfriend (in certain states), and her parents press charges has his photo up there for the rest of his life as a registered sex offender. Granted, this is one isolated example, but we, the people looking up our address, just don't know enough. When I was a kid, we went door to door selling chocolate bars for school without the benefit of a "photo registry". Most of us turned out okay. Sadly, some in this country did not. However, it wasn't just "registered sex offenders" doing the harm. I strongly feel that dangerous people should be imprisoned for a LONG LONG time. However, the system says these individuals are free to live amongst us; They did the crime, the "paid their time". So, why post their address...

[Welshcookie 17]

I'm not sure whether I agree with this or not. Names is one thing, but home addresses being linked like that bothers me, hugely.

Yes, I too have issue with this. The issue is that these stay on someone's record FOREVER, as does their photo. So, for example, an 18 year old boy who has sex with his 16 year old girlfriend (in certain states), and her parents press charges has his photo up there for the rest of his life as a registered sex offender.

I get this point I guess. This very nearly happened to my own son....we spent a few anxious months waiting find out if police were going to charge him with something that would have huge life long implications for him.