Do you know which sex offenders are living in your Scottsdale neighborhood?

This morning, the parents of Chelsea King announced that they are backing a proposed California state law to toughen restrictions on sexual predators after their 17-year-old daughter allegedly was kidnapped and killed by a convicted sex offender, John Albert Gardner III. The suspect in the case, John Albert Gardner III, 30, was arrested on suspicion of murder and rape after investigators found several pieces of unspecified evidence. The Kings said if the laws had been smarter and bolder, Chelsea might still be alive.

Although this horrific incident occurred in California, it absolutely pertains to Scottsdale residents in a multitude of ways. First, many Scottsdale residents are not aware of the convicted sex offenders living in Scottsdale; therefore, one could be living next to a resident with a small child and the parents are oblivious. Additionally, many Scottsdale teens attend college and vacation in San Diego where over 2,700 sex offenders reside and most do not know how to protect themselves nor have they taken a self defense class to learn. Lastly, many Scottsdale residents do not know the laws that pertain to sexual offenders until someone inflicts harm on one of their own children or community members.

The time is now to get educated about who is living in our Scottsdale communities and how to protect our children from becoming a victim or worse, a statistic. Scottsdale parents need to teach their children, or find someone qualified to do so, about the dangers lurking in our communities and beyond. Furthermore, all children should have a basic understanding of who to avoid and how to avoid potential dangers. Parents need to stop using the “Stranger Danger” lexicon without delay as it is no longer an appropriate manner in which to safeguard a child. In fact, parents need to immediately adopt a CODE WORD so that their children can identify safe people in their lives given that roughly 73% of assaults were perpetrated by non-strangers. Don’t let Chelsea King be just another statistic, learn from her and educate your children now.

Click on these links to learn more about Scottsdale sex offenders, to get statistics, to find resources for parents to teach their child about personal safety, or contact Shieldher. Be Safe!