The need to know

They live on Las Virgenes Road and Parkmor Road in Calabasas, on Wallington Court in Westlake Village, and on Oak Bend Lane in Oak Park. In Thousand Oaks they live just about everywhere, it seems—on Wilbur Road, Erbes Road, Kimber Drive and Hillcrest Drive––and in Moorpark on such serene-sounding streets as Pine Hollow Place, Quail Summit Road and Buttercreek Road.

Simi Valley has the most in our area with 71. Their names and addresses are too many to mention.

In all, there are 63,000 registered sex offenders in California and they live near a school, a park, or a church, maybe even a house next to you.

Now, the California Department of Justice is letting the public seek information about sex offenders by using a new Megan’s Law Internet website. Names, addresses, photos—it’s all there.

Is it useful information, or just another website that stretches the limits of what should or should not be allowed on the Internet?

Opponents of the new website say it violates due process and encourages vigilantism. These offenders have paid for their crimes, why should they have to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of their lives?

Spreading fear in the community and among our children is never a good thing, but living in darkness isn’t either. When it comes to having sex offenders for neighbors, too much information is better than not enough. In addition, many sex crimes go unreported, and among those who are guilty of these crimes, recidivism is high

Yes, a sex offender may live in your neighborhood, but the reality is that children are more likely to be molested by family members, friends, or acquaintances than a stranger. Teach your children to scream, run and fight if a stranger threatens them, but also teach them to tattle on friends or family members who have preyed upon them, people they should have been able to trust.

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