With so many people hiding behind masks and costumes, Halloween can be a scary time that makes children easy targets for sexual predators. With this creepy holiday less than a week away, MapSexOffenders.com provides a convenient way to steer clear of sexual predators handing out candy in 37 states
(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- With so many people hiding behind masks and costumes, Halloween can be a scary time that makes children easy targets for sexual predators. With this creepy holiday less than a week away, MapSexOffenders.com provides a convenient way to steer clear of sexual predators handing out candy in 37 states—see if your state is available on the list below.
Although some states are working to keep offenders away from your children this Halloween, many are not, and your family's best defense is being informed. MapSexOffenders.com will help you know your neighborhood and protect your children.
In Illinois, sex offenders have been banned from passing out candy on Halloween, and Virginia's "Trick-nor-Treat" program accomplishes the same goal. In Parker County, TX, sex offenders are being taken off the streets on Halloween night. Despite these safeguards, psychologist Dr. Paul Hauck reminds us to still be careful, as sex offenders can hide. "First of all, it's dark outside. Second, he can disguise himself very easily1."
Many parents are now opting to take their kids off the streets entirely by choosing to attend family parties or trunk-or-treating activities and parties put on at local churches. However, police do want people crippled with fear—it can be safe for your child to go trick-or-treating if you take the necessary precautions. Ohio Sheriff Jim Karnes stresses that no child should trick-or-treat without an adult supervisor. Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro gives another precaution by advising parents to visit a sex offender database online before going trick-or-treating.
We hope people can use MapSexOffenders.com not only to map their own street but also to take some time and really be aware of the sex offenders in their own neighborhoods. As parents become more attentive, they will be more able to spot—and keep their children away from—sexual predators. Our site aims to help parents make this Halloween a safe and fun holiday. MapSexOffenders.com has posted Halloween Safety Tips, which we encourage parents and guardians to take time to review.
1 Eyewitness 4 News
37 States Now Available at MapSexOffenders.com
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming and DC
States nearing completion:
Alaska, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma
States that will be mapped shortly are:
Maine, Michigan
Coming December 2005
Wisconsin – street addresses for all offenders will be available on December 1, 2005. MapSexOffenders.com will then map the state’s database.
Coming July 2006
Nevada – street addresses for all offenders will be available on July 1, 2006. MapSexOffenders.com will then map the state’s database.
Oregon –The state police have told MapSexoffenders.com that the website will be complete in July 2006 at which time MapSexOffenders.com will map the information. Until now they have mailed the information by the box to those who have requested it.
Partial Mapping:
Pennsylvania - only provides street addresses for the sexually violent predators. MapSexOffenders.com will be mapping this information as soon as possible. The SVPs represent only about 100 of over 7000 offenders. We encourage the citizens of Pennsylvania to contact their legislator to have this law changed.
States we can not map:
South Dakota – does not have a centralized sex offender database. Please contact your state legislator to encourage them to create a central database. Legislation has come before the legislature in the past to change the law and make the information more available but did not pass. This next legislative session there are plans to bring this up once more – contact your legislator and encourage them to pass the law. In the meantime, we may map the information from Aberdeen, Rapid City and Sioux Falls Police Departments which represents approximately 80% of the sex offenders in the state according to state officials.
Utah – MapSexOffenders.com has mapped Utah but can not yet display this information. MapSexOffenders.com will soon appear in the Utah State Capitol asking that a law be changed which restricts the use of the sex offender data. More information is forthcoming.
Vermont – does not provide any street address information. Please contact your state legislator to have this law changed.
MapSexOffenders.com was created by Orbizon. Orbizon is a web-development company focused on creating useful, informative, easy-to-use websites. Orbizon has also created MapGasPrices.com and MapLocalWeather.com
See our blog at www.MapSexOffenders.blogspot.com for the latest news and updates from our site and around the country.
MapSexOffenders.com has been featured in Newsweek, MSNBC, PcMagazine, Reuters, Fox News Live and many others. For more press see www.MapSexOffenders.com/press.asp
Contact – Mark Olsen 801-687-0851
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