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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
 Posted - 04/27/2008 : 01:34:53 AM
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News Channel 3 Investigation
By Rodney Wardle
Apr 24 2008
News Channel 3
For years, Jessica's Law has helped keep registered sex offenders from living next to schools and parks, places where children commonly congregate.
But there's one place that predators are staying that could affect your kids: next to school bus stops.
In a News Channel 3 Investigation, we mapped over 200 school bus stops throughout Palm Springs and Desert Sands Unified School districts. Coachella Valley Unified did not provide its bus stop info publicly.
We then compared our map with the Megan's Law database. There are areas throughout the valley where sex offender homes match or outnumber school bus stops.
While this concerns parents and police, it's completely legal as long as the offenders don't live near the schools.
"Bus stops are not a permanent place of gather," said Indio Police Department spokesman Ben Guitron. "It's a point to be picked up from a school bus vehicle to go to school, then, go back and be dropped off."
Under Jessica's Law, registered sex offenders are required to live at least 2,000 feet away from schools, or over a quarter-mile.
There is no law that says these offenders can not live next to school bus stops. That's up to each county to decide, and, so far, Riverside County says they're OK where they're at.
Some counties have made it illegal for offenders to live near parks and aquatic centers. But Riverside County school bus stops, many of which are unmarked, are fair game.
School transportation officials say there are plenty of adults looking out for kids while they wait. But at one stop in Desert Hot Springs, only three parents look out for more than 30 kids.
And at a stop nearby, only two parents came to pick up their kids out of a dozen children walking home.
"It would be better if most of the parents are out there, because the kids don't listen," said parent Jason Biggie. "They run out into the street and they'll talk to anyone."
School districts have their hands tied. Offenders can live near bus stops, but schools can't constantly change their stops to move away from them.
So Palm Springs Unified has enlisted the help of its drivers. They're instructed to stop potential threats before they reach the kids. ...
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william
Top Member
USA
1912 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2008 : 11:43:31 AM
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In CA potential school bus driver are taught to look out for suspicious activity as part of the required classroom curriculum, so that should not have to be something "enlisted". As despicable as sex offenders are, I don't believe they are all pedophiles, or should that make a difference?
The fact is that since they wont keep these scumbags in prison for life or castrate them, they have to live someplace. Maybe they could re-open the penal colony on Devil's Island and let them all live there together.
There are also female sex offenders who are almost all pedophiles, but we never seem to hear about where they can or cannot live. They are treated far differently than male pedophiles but they are just as likely to be repeat offenders, albeit usually with their original targets. |
William |
Edited by - william on 04/27/2008 12:09:53 PM |
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Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops
