As I sit here eating my apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast, reflecting on the last few days, I have to say that I’m surprised with society, for the things that people are willing to accept as ok or the norm, mainly because they are unwilling to take action for reasons only known to them.
On February 2, 2011, John W. Davis, a registered sex offender, retired Army Major and alas a former neighbor of mine, was arrested for entering a Whittier, CA school, Los Altos Elementary school where he was “reading” to students.
The principal of the school is on record saying “The school does not do background checks on people who are only going to be on campus for a very short time, Mestanza-Rojas said.”* and from the same article also stating “I can assure everyone that the kids are safe,” Los Altos principal Martha Mestanza-Rojas said. “The Los Altos students have been safe at every point. And (Davis) will no longer be allowed on campus.” *
So I have to ask, isn’t this putting the cart before the horse? Sure lets allow a registered sex offender access to our children, even if it’s supervised and assume that they are as this principal puts it SAFE and then follow up with a statement about how safe our schools are when the offender is arrested. (Yes this is sarcasm for those of you who are having a moment)
Any school that is going to be proactive on caring for students is going to be one who is on top of those who are registered sex offenders in the area. We entrust our children’s safety and well being to schools and those in them and yet something like this screams that the system is failing. It takes two seconds for a person to log onto Megan’s Law site and run a name to see if someone is indeed listed as a local sex offender. Are schools so lax and complacent that they are unable to take a brief check of someone who is coming to “read” to the kids; and assume that anyone that has any contact with the kids will not cause them harm.
Now, let’s address the statements from Captain Pat Maxwell:
“There is a tremendous amount of public access to information on the Internet for parents and guardians to be proactive about the protection of their children. We encourage you to use it,” Captain Pat Maxwell said. **
“Often, suspects in child abuse cases gained access to their victims through positions of trust. Proactive parents and guardians are the best protection for any child.” **
He is correct there is a tremendous amount of information available to the pubic, however what he doesn’t go on to state when ordinary citizens call the appropriate authorities; regarding violations of registration and/or concerns for young children, they are listened to then nothing is done. Example: A phone call was made to the LASO Norwalk station regarding the fact that Mr. Davis had 2 young children, both boys living in his home, that he had been seen bouncing one child, dressed in little to nothing at all on his lap. Only to be told that there was nothing the Sheriffs could do regarding this, until he broke a law.
Hold up… let me get this right. Mr. Davis is a registered sex offender who was arrested and convicted of “lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age”*** and this man lives with minor boys under the age of 10, has been seen doing things that are inappropriate and the Sheriffs can’t or wont do anything?
I have to commend one of the mothers in the complex, upon finding out that her son was being watched by Mr. Davis and his past, she put in a call to her sons school and notified them regarding his status. Mr. Davis was banned from the schools grounds.
Now some might ask, well Kat why wasn’t C.P.S. called. It was on numerous occasions, only once did a caseworker respond to a call, to which the response was a social worker came and spoke with Mr. Davis and his fiancée regarding the children. Let’s look at the reason the responded… because Mr. Davis’s fiancée failed to supervise the youngest child, at the time approx 3 years of age around a pool area. Again other than a stern talking to no other action was taken, so the question is raised… Did the system fail the students at Los Altos and the children living in the apartment complex of Mr. Davis… or did people just not care enough to pursuit things with this man further, until of course he was arrested because a deputy followed up after seeing Mr. Davis at the school then subsequently found him on a sex offenders site.
You decide…
Below you will find the links where quotes were pulled from along with the website for California’s registered sex offenders, along with the Map where you too can search out offenders in your area.
Have a wonderful day!
~Kat and the kids
Megans Law Site:
http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/
Search Out Offenders in Your area:
http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/search.aspx
Links relating to where quotes were taken from:
* http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_17284229
** http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17293077
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