By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

With Christmas shopping, along with other holiday activities on the rise during this time of the year and on into next year, we can look for an increase in other types of activity that aren’t so enjoyable. Crowds and inattention work to the advantage of thieves of all types, but sex offenders of various types use the same conditions for blending with shoppers and other citizens who might be distracted while preparing to enjoy the holidays. It is a time to be jolly, but it is also a time to not let your time become a folly through foolish distractions.

While it is not easy to recognize every sex offender and they don’t necessarily differ in all aspects from law-abiding citizens, there are some steps those in small communities can take to become familiar with the physical descriptions and other characteristics which might help should an offender display actions which are suspicious or otherwise call attention to themselves.

It is true that ordinary citizens do not have all the tools that law enforcement authorities might, but one of the available tools that could prove extremely helpful, if used correctly, is the New Mexico (or other State) online sex offender registry. While, citizens are cautioned against using such a registry as a tool for harassment, the registries are available for use of citizens who wish to be aware of potential offenders in their general vicinity.  New Mexico’s registry, and most registries, can be searched using several parameters, including name, zip code, county, city, street, statewide and whether an offender has abconded or has been incarcerated. We should keep in mind that no system of tracking or registry is perfect, so we should not let a false sense of security lull us into complacency.

The New Mexico Sex Offender Webpage has this prominent warning notice:

WARNING: The information provided is intended for community safety purposes only and should not be used to threaten, intimidate, or harass. Without a fingerprint comparison, there is no guarantee an individual identified in the response is in fact the individual in question.

Here is the URL for New Mexico’s registry .  Please carefully read the contents and note that there are links to in-state law enforcement agencies, U.S. contacts and email subscriptions for information.

Be careful and pay attention to your surroundings. Have a safe Christmas or other holidays of your choosing.

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