Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mi3ke on August 14, 2012 at 7:28pm

"all the recent arroyo sexual assaults on children near or around arroyos,"

And by "all" you mean TWO?  The one by Edorado and the alleged one that BCSO made an arrest on yesterday.

Cheers, Mi3ke

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Granjero on August 14, 2012 at 8:45pm

Yes. All of those. Does two sexual assaults on kids seem like not enough? I didn't realize ther was a number of kid attacks that would constitute seeing about helping out a bit. Is it 3? 4?

I'm curious what your number would be before you felt the need to actually do something...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Granjero on August 14, 2012 at 9:41pm

Also, I'm not talking about some vigilante group going out beating up homeless folk who look strange. Just talking about some folks walking the arroyos so kids and whoever else knows there's a presence in the area.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by hettie on August 14, 2012 at 10:28pm

The assault near El Dorado happened in May. And the guy who's in the news for refusing a plea deal was arrested 4 years ago for assaults that happened between 2003 and 2008. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on August 16, 2012 at 1:33pm

Here's my question:  How do you know who's the Arroyo Citizen Patrol and who's the child predator? 

And...if you can point to any children who actually walk to school along a public street, much less an arroyo, I'd be interested to hear about it.  All the children who go to schools in my neighborhood are toted to school by parents in SUVs. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Granjero on August 16, 2012 at 2:08pm

The predator would be the one attacking and soliciting children.

As for children walking to and from school, you should get out of you're neighborhood more often. 100s if not thousands of children walk to and from school each day. Drive up Juan tabo by Spain sometime when schools let out or Carlos Rey or jimmy carter even.

Look, obviously there isnt much interest, so no worries. Thought it might be something useful/helpful, at the very least a group of folks could get some excersise with a hike up and down the arroyos.

Didn't realize it was a controversial idea..

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick on August 16, 2012 at 8:35pm

I think it's a good idea to have more eyes on the streets (or in this case arroyos) if there is concern for safety.  It might be helpful to collaborate with the police in advance to see if they have insight as to the most vulnerable areas.  But I think these kind of "take back" initiatives are good community involvement.  I say go for it and good luck!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Balletmom on August 17, 2012 at 7:10am

I think your concern might be valid but setting up this kind of thing requires cooperation with APD as well as APS.  Is there an area of town you think needs more eyes on than another?  As with others here, in my neighborhood, there are no kids walking to school.  Most take the bus, which is in the middle of the neighborhood, the walk no more than a couple blocks in an area with a lot of neighborhood foot traffic even early in the morning. or carpool.

Speak with with the local schools you want to cover, find their concerns. Contact the PTA. You might want to enlist the parents/neighbors in the area.  An education program for the students is probably necassary as well- if they walk in groups and stay out of the arroyos (which is what they are suppose to do) and know what to do if approached, you have made a huge step forward in stopping predators.

Then talk to the local sub station- maybe there are others in your neighborhood concerned as well, someone else who wanted to begin a program like this or a police officer willing to sponsor you.

Do you have a neighborhood associate- another good place to look for volunteers.  My associate sends out frequent emails, the latest reminding us that school was starting, where the bus stops are and to be alert when the kids are walking to and from those stops.

• ▶ Reply