October 23, 2019 - SACRAMENTO –This week, Operation Boo invites you to help parents keep their children safe from sexual abuse, not just on Halloween, but all the time. It’s our way of helping make our streets safe, from Boo to you!
As part of Operation Boo’s 26th annual child safety project, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) is releasing its free, online and downloadable parent empowerment guide – “Boo Tips.”
Raising awareness is key to helping keep kids safe. Research shows that only 10 percent of molestation cases involve strangers abducting and abusing children. The U.S. Department of Justice says most sex-abuse against kids is committed by people they know and trust.
- 30 percent of all child molesters are the children’s own family members.
- Twice that many, about 60 percent, aren’t family members — but they are known to the child. They’re family friends, babysitters, child care providers, or neighbors.
- And it’s not just adults – 23 percent of reported cases are committed by people younger than 18 years of age.
On Halloween night, parole agents and their local law enforcement partners will once again keep a watchful eye on sex offenders who are actively on parole during the annual Halloween children’s safety project, “Operation Boo.” State-supervised sex offenders are ordered to abide by special conditions of parole on that night. Those conditions include:
- A 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew during which parolees must remain indoors
- All exterior lights of their homes must be turned off so that it looks as if no one is home, which discourages children from approaching
- No offering of Halloween candy and no Halloween decorations are allowed
- During the curfew, sex offender parolees can only open the door to respond to law enforcement, such as parole agents who are patrolling their caseload to ensure compliance
Media Ride-Along Deadline: Tomorrow
The registration deadline for media ride-alongs with the parole units is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23. Spots are limited, vary by area and are filling up quickly.
An application form is attached.
This year Operation Boo ride-alongs will also include and promote:
- Transient Sex Offender Monitoring: Since a significant number of sex-offenders are homeless, special centers will be set up for Halloween Night in all regions of the state. Sex-offenders will have to report to these centers to abide by the Halloween night curfew under the watchful eye of law enforcement.
Please help us spread the word about how parents and guardians can teach children to spot and avoid molestation by using Boo Tips, a parent empowerment brochure.This helpful information is easily available now by going to www.cdcr.ca.gov/Boo .
There, you’ll find internet links to help parents find out if and where sex offenders live in their area so they can chart out a trick-or-treat course that’s clear of sex offenders’ homes and other helpful information. Parents can learn non-frightening, age-appropriate ways to talk to their kids about spotting and avoiding potential predators. The tips were compiled by various government agencies and advocacy groups and their experts.
The links help parents:
- Talk to their children, from toddlers to teens, in an unscary manner about setting personal boundaries.
- Explain to them that certain parts of their bodies are private.
- Reinforce to children that they should feel comfortable telling their parents, or someone they trust, if someone touches them in a way that makes them uncomfortable.
- Learn to identify warning signs from children.
- Identify signs that someone is paying an unusual amount of attention to a child.
Source: CDCR
