LBCC Sex Offenders: Predators Among Kids, A Look At Predators Among Us

Sex Offenders

Linn Benton Community College(LBCC) and Oregon State University(OSU) are similar to society in that they both have sex offenders in their midst.

Society runs its daily schedule much like a clock. The clock is always moving forward in time without bias to time, and people moving ahead are also caught in time, moving forward. Society sees what it wants to see as it moves its feet one after another to pursue a grasp of its goals and visions.  In that pursuit of happiness, predatory sex offenders are integrated into that motion of the clock, living among us. Sometimes…those offenders are undetected.

It is not the subject of the day. Nobody wants to talk about predatory sex offenders. Certainly discussion about those offenders living in neighborhoods, working at jobs, and going to schools- is not wanted conversation.

It is needed, however.

How safe is the general public? How safe are the public’s children? Who provides that safety? Can society help that process? And at places like LBCC and OSU, can sex offenders be integrated as well? These are questions that deserve answers.


Supervision
 
In Linn County Oregon, the Parole & Probation Office supervises the county’s 250 convicted sex offenders. About 20 of those are classified as predatory. The office goal and agenda is two-fold. The main objective is to provide public safety through not only monitoring, but rehabilitation of the offender. Lie detector tests, sobriety screening, and personal check-ups help Linn Parole to increase society’s safety. The lie detector tests help to keep provisions such as no alcohol or drugs, no internet, no bars/taverns, and no areas of children- adhered to by the offender. The tests are efficient in providing accountability and rules. And the general rules regarding the offender’s daily life, are tailored to public safety. Meaning , if the parole officer thinks a particular place is a problem, then that environment is restricted.

Counseling and check-ins with the parole office also help to keep the offender from re-violating.

Continuously supervised offenders are less likely to re-offend, and statistics show about "a 2 to 3% occurrence of sex offenders re-offending" under this type of non-stop supervision, Linn Parole employee Maureen Robb said.

Another focus of the parole office is to create awareness, in the public, AND in Law Enforcement. The parole office sends out “Alerts” to public entities such as local police, schools, and places where large groups of children or potential victims may congregate. The idea is to help the public increase awareness of social atmosphere, and to help law enforcement monitor offenders.


O.S.U. & LBCC Offenders Cause Concern

In October, KATU News and local newspapers ran stories about an offender named Christopher Wacek, a listed predator on the state website, who is employed at Oregon State University(OSU). The two articles in the local newspapers were summary articles plucked from the AP wire, and were very vague. The KATU broadcast of the story, interviewed a few employees and an administrator from OSU, and did not interview anyone involved with Wacek's supervision. KATU reported Wacek's status and employment at OSU as well as OSU staff concerns regarding Wacek.

Linn County Parole & Probation, and Wacek himself, are exceptional examples of successful supervision. Wacek's crime was 20 years back, and Wacek has not re-offended or violated any terms of his parole. "You have to not want to re-offend," said Wacek. Although the public should be aware of Wacek, society should also be aware of the offender treatment and supervision, and of the little threat that Wacek poses to society. And that Wacek seems committed to a better existence. "Wacek is not considered a threat," said Ric Bergy, Director of Linn County Parole & Probation.

During Fall Term 2012-13 at Linn Benton Community College in Albany Oregon, a number of those alerts were visible to the school’s faculty, student body, and security personnel. "Communication with the parole office helps us stay informed," LBCC Safety Office Manager  Marcene Olson said. Awareness and communication is paramount to successful integration of offenders into society’s daily grind. Those alerts are posted publicly as flyers, and emails of the flyer and relevant info, are mailed to students and faculty. LBCC has a 9 person security unit, with 6 of those being security guards, Olson added.

The LBCC Campus Security Office keeps a list on record, of sex offenders who are registered students, employees, and local threats. The communication with the parole office allows the LBCC Security team to assess risk, provide a safety plan, and monitor the sex offenders. The Security Office then implements a dialogue with those offenders to keep them “on track” and focused on continual rehab. That communication includes mapping the campus and avoiding trouble spots, detailing school policies, and once-a-month conferences.


Awareness

The public’s perception of returning offenders to society after the prison sentence is one of distaste, anger, misinformation, paranoia, and vigilantism. It is not so odd to have a sort of reluctance to having a predator sex offender at a school where children attend. Your children. But the fact is that more often than not, the people in charge of safety- provide good safety. The inter-agency communication and alerts to the public, make both the offender and potential victim aware of circumstances involving public safety.

The term "predator" is applied by the state to classify the risk of certain offenders. This assessment is mostly based on offender history, but can include a wider scope. The risk associated with a one- time statutory offender is less than a repeat offender who targets 8 year old children. That classification is essential for public awareness, even when an offender has completed treatment, prison, and probation.

Public awareness is the key. Good examples of this are “neighborhood watch” coalitions that employ many pairs of eyes and ears to help “police” the streets where they live. It is no secret that group-sourced projects are successful in society. When people get together for a common and agreed cause, one that benefits society, the success of those causes multiplies. In theory, if the entire population of a college campus were aware of a predator on that campus, the efficiency in keeping the campus safe would exponentially rise.

If a victim is unaware, that victim is a target. Why is that? The potential victim in this situation is not conscious of surroundings or behavior that risks safety(campus at night, etc..), and becomes a liability to personal and social safety.

If the public is not aware, then it is useless in the constructive management of offenders, because now the general public has zero information about the offender. That, theoretically, creates an unsafe environment and lends power to temptation. How can society help maintain quality of safety without knowledge of potential threats? It cannot. Knowledge is gold in the safety arena. Awareness of one’s surroundings is liberating in the sense that nothing catches one off guard. As a society, the public should always be prepared for adversity. Knowledge, preparation, and common sense are the best tools to protect society’s investment into the future.

Why is public awareness so important in the face of outstanding supervision?

Obviously, public discussion on the topic of sex offenders, is paramount to a week’s worth of dental surgery. Nobody wants that. The problem is, of course, that a root canal won’t harm society’s children. The idea of discussing sex offenders and their crimes is creepy and disgusting. These crimes ruin lives and crush hearts. But the braveness of discussion can only help the status quo, because if society leaves the supervision up to the professionals, peak efficiency in combating re-offenses is lost. And let’s not assume that those supervisors do not make mistakes.


Minimizing Mistakes

In the human inter-change of supervision, communication and supervision, is not always achieved. Mistakes have, and will, be made. Some disclosures get lost. Mail does not get delivered. And some in the field simply believe that it is “solely” law enforcement’s task to “police” the offender. These kinds of supervisors have little or no faith in the public's help, and that can be counter-effective, as most are aware that many pairs of eyes are better than just one pair.

LBCC has 18 registered sex offenders as students. Some are listed as “Predatory” by the State Police Sex Offender Website. And some facts concerning these offenders were unknown to some of the LBCC Security Staff.
 
Sometimes as a society, comfortable conditions can breed mediocre performance.
         
The reasons for these lapses are general  ignorance. The fact is that most of society does not want to risk the interaction with such violent, violating crimes. They cannot be blamed, but rather, they should be educated- and informed. But when a law enforcement entity has that same ignorance and mediocrity, lives are at risk. No matter how small that risk, an assessment is in order. The best way to do this is to change society’s behavior towards sex offenders as neighbors. When both the public and law enforcement, join an “open” agenda of awareness, education, rehabilitation, and supervision- only then do we have peak efficiency in protecting citizens.

When law enforcement adopts a lazy approach to continued supervision, public interest is not served. Professionals are not above accountability. Accepting that accountability has been Linn County  Parole & Probation’s driving force in their success.

LBCC Security has had the same kind of success. Sex offender crime on campus is virtually a non-issue, which is a credit to the office and past success. But in the last few months, exposed lapses in supervision warrant a review of policy and mechanics. In no way should a security staff member at any college ever be unaware of an offender or an offender’s risk to campus safety. LBCC Security reported 18 offenders on campus and that none were predators. Yet, in fact, more than one is listed on the Oregon State Offender site as a Predator Sex Offender. And at least one was on the state list but was not on LBCC's list of offenders.

Part of the response in defense of “minimal public policing” and public awareness, is that the public is more vigilante than productive support. That is simply not true. Does the concern have any validity? Maybe, in a very few instances of vigilantism, and even some basic civil rights violations. But the reality is, when education and information is available, society benefits in a positive and assertive way.

In a macro study of the field, vigilantism is a non-factor.  The fact is this, an educated and informed public body, is aware of the successes of sex offender therapy, and of law enforcement’s diligence in preventing re-offenses. And society can only help to reach perfection in that regard, if possible. Perfection is ZERO re-offenses.

The offenses by some of those 18 offenders registered as LBCC students is alarming. In the face of good supervision, striving for the best supervision should be society's goal, as well as law enforcement's priority. If a student at any college campus has multiple convictions for violent and disturbing sex crimes, regardless of that offender's supervision- the public should be informed.

One of the LBCC offenders is Richard Aldridge. His status was unknown to Security. If the public was informed, and the Security office diligent in its approach to information- LBCC students receive a safer education experience. One mistake has the potential to be catastrophic, and that is simply unnecessary and unacceptable.

Keep in mind that Linn County Parole and the LBCC Safety Office were both involved in Aldridge's registration at the college, but somewhere communication broke down. Fixing that breach of student confidence can be addressed rather easily by accepting facts and addressing solutions.

Sometimes, when confronted with offender questions, the public is extreme in its response. The public either wants to see the offender hanging from a tree, or the public questions the very topic of offenders. A more "critical thinking" approach is needed. Education and information is relevant. Rhetoric is not.


Safety Risk

Generally, the risk to the public is somewhat low. But risk is risk. When integrating sex offenders back into society, managing that risk is essentially managing life. The more involved one is, the better chances at successful co-existence with convicted sex offenders. When the public has relevant information, and the public acts responsibly- only then can society increase awareness and safety. Education about risk is essential to this cause.

Do not ignore that risk or its management.

Are you willing to take that chance with your child’s safety? Are you willing to take ANY chance with that safety?

The LBCC Courtyard Clock ticks towards the weekend, as fall colored leaves dominate.

At Oregon State University, students enjoy October outdoors.