TexasCHLforum.com

I’m absolutely floored. My daughter’s elementary school sent home a note that states another girl on our street (yes the street I live on) was approached by men in a red car asking her if she needed a ride. The note stated the girl ran away, and that the police have been notified and are stepping up patrols in our neighborhood.

I’m fed up with the crime… first the McD down the street, the 2 car jackings nearby, and now a potential soliciting sex offender on my street.

Am I imagining things, is the media focusing on this, is there any statistical evidence pointing towards an increase in local crime?

Don't know where you live, but I do know that it is SOP for a school ( I work in Pub. Edu) to send out a note after an incident like this. I'll bet that you'll be on the lookout for red cars now!

dmac wrote:Don't know where you live, but I do know that it is SOP for a school ( I work in Pub. Edu) to send out a note after an incident like this. I'll bet that you'll be on the lookout for red cars now!

Sugarland.. Lexington Creek Elementary School, if anybody else lives nearby pay attention.

Open up Frank Hamer style on every red car you see.

skankpile wrote:... is there any statistical evidence pointing towards an increase in local crime?

Overall rates of violent crime and theft have been steadily declining since about 1994.

You just notice it more when several incidents happen in your area around the same time.

For example, the City of Galveston normally has fewer than ten homicides a year, and most of those are either domestic (men killing their wife or "girlfriend") or directly related to drug trafficking.

This year there have been three murders in first two and a half months of the year, and two of them might be the work of a serial killer. Some people call it a crime wave, but it's really just a random fluctuation in a small number. In other words, if a place had five murders last year and six this year, it's a 20% increase.

- Jim

Some perv attempted a grab on a young girl over in Frisco last week. That's a little too close to home!

seamusTX wrote:

skankpile wrote:... is there any statistical evidence pointing towards an increase in local crime?

Overall rates of violent crime and theft have been steadily declining since about 1994.

- Jim

Read the book, Freakanomics. They assert an interesting opinion. For years the question as to the cause of the drastic crime drop was debated. Some said more prisons, some said education, some said three stikes, but none of the answers made since. Then someone looked at who was committing crimes...young men 18-25 born of single mothers. Then someone noticed that there weren't as many of them as there used to be. So someone did the math...what happened in the mid 70's to reduce the number of single mothers having babies? Roe v. Wade.

Please understand that I am not trying to raise an abortion discussion, nor do I comment on the validity of the theory. It's just a book I read.

Here's a question everyone should ask themselves: If you see a lost child or someone that looks like they need help what do you do? I'm not saying that is what was going on here, but then again maybe it was. I'm guessing everyone would think twice about trying to help out of fear of being labeled a pedophile by on lookers. Our society is in a sad state. Too many creeps out there and honorable people cannot act with out being criminalized.

atxgun wrote:Here's a question everyone should ask themselves: If you see a lost child or someone that looks like they need help what do you do? I'm not saying that is what was going on here, but then again maybe it was. I'm guessing everyone would think twice about trying to help out of fear of being labeled a pedophile by on lookers. Our society is in a sad state. Too many creeps out there and honorable people cannot act with out being criminalized.

I will always stop and ask a child if they are lost if they look like they are out of place or act like they are wandering around looking for someone. The easiest way to not look suspicious is to yell 'Is anyone looking for a lost child?' That will tell folks the kid is separated and you are there to help. If there is another adult close, let them assist you. That way you also have a witness in case there are any questions at all. If the parent doesn't show up in a short time, a call to 911 is the next step.

atxgun wrote:Here's a question everyone should ask themselves: If you see a lost child or someone that looks like they need help what do you do? I'm not saying that is what was going on here, but then again maybe it was. I'm guessing everyone would think twice about trying to help out of fear of being labeled a pedophile by on lookers. Our society is in a sad state. Too many creeps out there and honorable people cannot act with out being criminalized.

That's the problem...We've taught our children to beware strangers (and rightly so), but now they can't distinguish bad stranger from helping starnger. Don't get me wrong...if I had to choose; I'd want to keep it that way.

We received a letter as well about a week ago, a guy was showing himself to females at the local park that is within a few hundred feet of the school.

I have a 6 year old that is not fearful of ANYONE. No matter how many times I tell her and explain stranger danger she will just start talking to people at walmart, target or whereever we are. Scared me to death when they sent this note home. Luckily I can be there before school gets out to pick her up, so she is never sitting there waiting. And our teachers are great about knowing who the child is leaving with.

I've stopped to ask little kids if they're lost several times before and stuck with them til we could find their parents (mostly at the store, mall or airport). I have four little brothers, a fact I mention to parents to calm their fears, and tell them I know how easy it is for an adventurous kid to get lost. I've only stopped on the side of the road once to help a "kid", turns out she was a 4' 9" 37-year-old. Ended up giving her a ride to a nearby friend's house on my motorcycle. Had to get out of there before she robbed me of my phone number...

atxgun wrote:Here's a question everyone should ask themselves: If you see a lost child or someone that looks like they need help what do you do?

I woke up one Saturday morning to hear some kid crying outside. I went outside and asked him what was wrong, as I thought he was lost or something. He said his dog had just ran away from him, and he was trying to find him but having no luck. But instead of offering to drive him around the block and look, I offered him my cell phone to call his mom, who then arrived a few minutes later. As a parent myself, I know the fine line you must walk when helping another parent's child.

If you are in a store and you ask a child if they need help finding their parents thats fine. If you see a child in harms way and you help them its probably evident you provided help. If you see a child outside and ask them to get in your car, or flash them... I hope I'm there to better explain the situation to you.

maybe its flawed by my thinking goes like this:
propositioning a child to get in your car, house, trailer, etc = kidnapping = my discretionary use of force, 911
flashing a child = assault = a quick beat down, a slower beat down, 911

If I'm walking to the mailbox on my street and I see children playing I'll smile and say hi... I dont ask them if they want to see anything, want candy, want to come inside my house, or if they need a ride anywhere. I'm sure there may be grey areas, but if I think it feels weird then I bet the child would as well.. kinda a no brainer.

In this case, the child also was alarmed as she knew they were strangers and not trying to help.