Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero
SHERIFFS OFFICE News:
Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero today issued the following Halloween and Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips:
Did you know according to statistics from the Department of Justice and Watch Systems LLC, an estimated 80 percent of all addresses have at least one sex offender within one mile? Forty-five percent of sexual assault victims are under 12, and 75 percent of victims know their attacker. Over half of all sexual assaults occur within one mile of the victim’s home. Did you know currently there are seven registered sex offenders in Los Alamos County?
So before your children Trick-or-Treat this Halloween, Sheriff Lucero wants parents to have real-time access to sex offenders in your area.
“We do our best to ensure sex offenders live where they tell us, but it is up to our citizens to utilize these online tools to see who the registered sex offenders are and where they are living,” Lucero said.
It is critical that you “Know Before You Go” this Halloween.” Lucero advises parents to go to the Los Alamos Sheriff’s Department website at http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=55310. Parents can quickly search for offenders in their area using the statewide database. Simply enter your home address to view a printable map of your neighborhood and any offenders in the surrounding area.
While on the website, Lucero encourages parents to take one extra step and register for the site’s free e-mail alerts.
“You can enter your home, school, grandparents’ addresses to receive real-time e-mail notifications any time an offender moves within one mile of any address you register,” Lucero said. “If you aren’t planning on Trick-or-Treating in your own neighborhood, but will be in a different neighborhood, register that address beforehand so you know which houses to avoid.”
The alerts are in real-time and sent out via email as soon as an offender has registered with the Sheriff’s Office. There is no cost of this service to the public, and no limit to the number of addresses that can be registered. All email addresses and physical addresses are confidential.
With these resources available, Sheriff Lucero says parents can feel confident that they are armed with the necessary tools to keep their children safe this Halloween.
For questions, or assistance regarding the sex offender registry, contact the Los Alamos County Sheriff’s Office at 505.662.8028.
