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Crime Prevention & Safety

Be Aware Of Crime

By James J. Becker, Director of LRA Crime Alert Committee

here are a number of web sites available free of Another informative site is the Florida Department of
charge that you as community members can log into Law Enforcements Sexual Offender Registry web site at
T on your smart phones, laptops, or home computers to OFFENDER.FDLE.STATE.FL.US. All sexual offenders and
become more aware of crime in your neighborhoods. predators by law must register with the state and
Two of the sites - Spot Crime at be placed on a public registry. The site
SPOTCRIME.COM and RAIDSONLINE.COM - offers you the ability to search by name or
allow participants to create a daily by neighborhood for offenders in proximity
customized neighborhood watch report to your home. For example, I typed in my
and maps of your home address that home address and asked for a search
pinpoints criminal activity and police radius of 1 mile for offenders.
incidents within 500 feet up to 5 miles of Unbelievably the site populated with the
your home. Both sites can be used to display names, pictures, addresses and the
maps and data anywhere in the United offensives of 15 sexual offenders. In addition,
States. This is especially useful for travelers, you can register to be notified in the event
vacationers and snowbirds traveling to and from Fort an offender moves into your neighborhood or
Lauderdale. One simply has to log in, create a user name absconds. You will be amazed to learn who lives in your
and password and sit back and receive daily updates. general vicinity!

24 The Landings & Bay Colony