Yesterday I read in the Denver Post that the FBI has released some tips for keeping our kids safe from all these recent in home kidnappings.

Besides all the regular stuff we already know, they mentioned 1.) Keeping your bedroom door & the kids bedroom doors cracked open so you can hear what's going on and 2.) Preventing access through your kids bedroom windows.

#1 goes against Fire Safety rules (doors should be kept shut to prevent the spread of smoke & fire). Our kids still sleep in our bedroom, but dh & I discussed for the future, using baby Monitors to be able to hear into their room--but we think it would have to be somewhat hidden to prevent someone from turning it off.

#2, preventing access through a window, is a little more difficult, a window could always be broken or cut even if it's securely locked. Window alarms & such could get prohibitively expensive. We discussed using window bars, but again that would present a problem if there were a fire (how would kids get out or Firemen get in?). Any other ideas?

The article mentioned that the FBI is getting tons of calls from parents, asking how to keep kids safe, asking what is being done about this problem, etc.

Did everyone hear about the little girl who was taken from her bedroom & raped in her own back yard recently? I think these perverts are now hitting our homes because we've learned how to better keep our kids safe outside.

I think this subject deserves some discussion by us moms.....what are we going to do & how are we going to do it? I have to admit I am pretty mad about this whole thing....Many complain now about losing some rights & freedoms because of trying to prevent terrorist attacks, but here we are having to practically lock up our kids.....They can't play outside alone, they can't walk to school alone, you can't turn your eye away while they're playing at the park, and now kids can't even count on sleeping safely in their own homes.
What kind of adults will our children end up being if they are always so closely supervised, if they never have any of the normal childhood freedoms that we grew up with? How can we balance our job of keeping them safe with their job of becoming independent?

By Debbie on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 02:03 pm:

Susan, I have been thinking about this a lot too. I do use a baby monitor since my kids sleep on the other side of the house. It makes a horrible noise if it is turned off, so there really isn't a need to hide it. I usually have it turned up so loud you can hear everything, even their normal breathing. We also have an alarm system. It came with the house and we decided to get it connected because my dh goes out of town a lot. However, I use it every night now.

I hate the fact that I have to tell my ds that he has to stay in the backyard. We live on a horseshoe shaped street and I used to let him ride around the block on his bike when I was in the front doing yard work. Now, I won't even let him do that. We live in a big family neighborhood, but it doesn't seem to matter anymore. I have also stopped taking both my ds's to the park by myself because I can't keep my eye on both at all times. This is just so sad. I am not sure what is a "good balance" anymore

By Annie2 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 08:25 pm:

How about this one?...

Let's castrate convicted sexual rapists (the term molester should be out of the question when a baby/child is involved.) Then have the "Scarlet letter" R...for rapist... be branded on their cheek.
I think that would send a message!

By Kathy on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 08:47 pm:

That's a great one Annie2! I'd love for my ex to be branded for life so that EVERYONE knows just what he is!

By Trina on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 10:52 pm:

This worries me as well! We still have monitors in the kid's rooms for the same reason as Debbie. They do make a terrible static noise if turned off and I would definitely hear it. We also have a security system, although the 2nd floor windows aren't wired. If any of the exits are opened or tampered with while the system is armed the alarm will sound and the security company will notify the local police. (YES, it works! DS opened the front door at the crack of dawn once and minutes later a friendly police officer was at our door step!) Because we have central AC, more often than not all windows are closed and locked. I know all this isn't foolproof but they do give me a little sense of security.

I rarely let my kids play outdoors unsupervised. We live in a nice neighborhood, but I feel you can never be too cautious. We also have wildlife to deal with, as we had a visiting bear in our yard a few weeks ago!

All of this stuff worries me sick.

By Suz_Chix on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 01:14 pm:

I know.All the things mentioned worries me sick.What I would like to know also is why don`t these predetors and convicted Rapists of our children get more jail time or get a more severe punishment?
It seems that the ones that do get caught and convicted already have had prior arrests to similar crimes.
By then it is to late and an innocent child is murdered.
It is not right though.We need the punishment for these individuals to be more strict.
Also recenly here in Michigan they used to make the Michigan publiic sexual inquery public.
We could go on line and access a list of convicted rapists and child predetors by punching in a zip code it would list the persons name and address and conviction.Now they say that invades the (predetors)rights.Go figure.

By Tonya on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 04:01 pm:

Sex offenders are stil lregistered in Michigan all you have to do is call your local police station and they have to telll you if there is anyone registered in your neighborhood or not and where. I just did this before I bought my new house! It is also still up on the WEB somewhere like you sdaid where you put in the zip and it gives you their bio and the charges they were convicted of.

By Trina on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 04:12 pm:

I used to be able to look up sex offenders on the Net in my state (CT), but the last time I checked it said a new law had passed that prohibited that information from the general public.

See here:
http://www.state.ct.us/dps/Sor.htm

More info here:
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20020521/frontpage/24981.shtml

By Kathy on Thursday, August 1, 2002 - 04:39 pm:

Trina, I think that it is TERRIBLE that CT took the information offline, especially since that is where my ex is currently located. The public has a right to know! I don't think that these convicted criminals should be protected by these laws. Grrrr!

By Pamt on Friday, August 2, 2002 - 10:01 am:

We are VERY aware of these issues right now where I live (Baton Rouge) because in addition to what is going on in the world right now, we have a serial killer here. 3 weeks ago a woman in my church was abducted from her home at 10 pm and found murdered 4 days later. They have tied her murder to that of 2 other women in April or May and last September with DNA evidence. Public pressure had led to the information that there are actually 28 unsolved murders of women in BR in the last 10 years. One of the serial killer's victims was a grad student at LSU (which I am too) and the most recent worked in the small suburb where I work. Everyone is REALLY on edge here and the police are offering free self-defense classes at the Y's and other community centers. The biggest thing for me to be aware of is that all of the murders have had no sign of forced entry. The police suspect it is someone posing as a deliveryman, repairman, or policeman. Doors are always locked, my big dog is inside with us a lot more than usual, and I am really aware of my surroundings at all times. One thing I have learned to be careful about (that I am guilty of) is to lock the doors and start driving the minute I get in the car. The police said that women are more likely than men to make a list, look through mail, touch-up makeup, etc. when getting in a car and that is a prime time for someone to attack. It is scary and people of definitely on edge here! (http://www.wbrz.com/)

As far as the kids go...I used to let them play basketball in the driveway or skate on the sidewalk in front of the house---no more! I supervise them at all times. When I was 8 like my oldest son I was riding my bike all over the neighborhood and visiting friends. I think it is so sad that he'll miss out on that. We have considered a security system, but they are awfully expensive. My big mutt from the pound (65 lbs. and thought to be part Akita, part German Shepherd) is a great family dog, but has a mean sounding bark and is VERY protective of us gives me a lot of comfort.

By Feona on Friday, August 2, 2002 - 12:58 pm:

We had a sex offender move in in the next town over. The police mailed out fliers listing his name and I think his address! Maybe I am wrong about the address. Anyway, he slipped something in an underaged girl's drink that made her pass out and ...

I actually heard that the number of abductions of kids are down, but we seem to hear about everything now a days. I can not watch the news, it is too disturbing.

By Rayelle on Friday, August 2, 2002 - 03:29 pm:

I worry too. I was worried to death of being kidnapped as a child and now I'm even more worried for my own kids. It seems to me like there are so many laws that protect sex offenders, like they deserve a multiple chances at life with a clean slate. The victims lives are never going to be the same so why should theirs? I never leave my kids outside, mostly because they're too young anyway and now I rarely take them out with just me supervising them. I watched an interview with Samantha Runnions mother (heart wrenching) and she said the little girl kicked and fought and screamed but she was no match for her abductor. I've always watched the shows and read the articles about lures rapists and killers use, but they have to think of something new eventually right? It scares me to death. Something has to be done about making punishments more severe for people who hurt others- especially our children. I haven't been following but The last thing I heard about the whole Catholic church scandal was that the officials thought if they just molested one child that would be overlooked, like one strike and you're out or something. That is sickening. That one child is a human being. I can't believe how unsafe our world is. Is this soemthing you write to your congressman about? I've heard about this new Amber alert in California that saved the lives of 2 teenage girls who were abducted.