An email sent out this morning by Captain Richard Correia of the Richmond DIstrict Police Station:
On April 21, 2010 Richmond Station was alerted though a widely circulated email about suspicious activity by a lone adult male at Mountain Lake Park . The email stated the individual had been using his cell phone to take photographs of other people’s children near the park’s play structures. He did not have any children with him and was doing pull ups while wearing slacks and a jacket. A parent used a cell phone to take a photograph of the subject, which she included with the email.
The volume of Internet traffic related to this issue was significant and served to raise public awareness about the issue. From the online comments and those we heard at a community meeting, it was apparent that the incident generated a great deal of angst and questions about the level of safety in our community. People were frightened.
Upon receipt of the email we started an investigation. Our intent was to identify the individual, determine if he had violated any laws and ascertain if he presented an actual risk to our community.
On April 26, 2010, plain-clothes officers identified the subject and met with him at his home. While surprised at being the subject of a police investigation, he was cooperative and unguarded. Officers interviewed him and reviewed his background. He allowed officers to examine his cell phone and his laptop computer. He stated that he hadn’t taken any photographs. He explained that he was looking at his phone’s screen while using the telephone’s stop watch feature as part of his work out. Such an activity could be perceived as a person taking photographs.
Our investigation did not disclose any facts that suggest that the individual had engaged in illegal activity or that he presents a risk to our community. We informed him about signage in the park that prohibits adults from entering the children’s play area except when they are accompanying children.
I appreciate your many emails about this incident. I hope that the results of our investigation help to assuage any worries you have had about the safety of children in our community. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.
Captain Richard Corriea
666.8030
Richard.Corriea@sfgov.org
Just be aware there are other crazy men kicking dogs & throwing their bikes at them while screaming at the top of their lungs. I experienced this on the trail along the lake w/ 2 others.
Eh. If they didn’t find any kiddie porn on his laptop, and he’s completely cooperative and unguarded, it was all probably just a big misunderstanding.
Thanks Captain Corriea for following up on this. Great to know the SFPD is so concerned.
Yet another psycho-mom costing taxpayers dollars–how many crimes took place while the officers followed this poor chap around?
Only an estimated 0.03% of child abductions are made by total strangers — who generally don’t hang out in wealthy neighborhoods for all to see (and photograph) them. Abductions are almost always (99.97%) done by (disagreeing) parents, relatives, household employees, etc.: people who are not strangers to the child or family.
Source: United States Justice Department, 2002
“how many crimes took place while the officers followed this poor chap around?”
Honestly, in The Richmond district? Probably none. Even if there was some horrible crime that took place at the same time, it most likely couldn’t have been prevented because of a cop or two checking up on this guy.
While you’re correct about how many kids are abducted by total strangers, it does happen. On top of that, he did in fact trespass because he wasn’t accompanied by any children. So, it was hardly a waste of taxpayer money.
If the cops turned a blind-eye, than yes, it would have been a terrible waste; however, they did they’re job, and that’s all we can ask for.
did you see the photo in the prior post – who works out in jeans and a hip length jacket? I dont buy it.
“Anonymous,” what’s your point? Other than to make exactly the alarming comment of someone who’s least concern is the safety of children in the community. But why aren’t you concerned about the safety of children in the community? Oh wait, “anonymous”… right, I got it.
So, while we’re sharing Justice Dept stats from 2002, how about we include the relevant bullet points, hmmm? .003% sounds so insignificant until you do the math.
How many children are reported missing each year? The U.S. Department of Justice reports:
* 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day.
* 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
* 58,200 children were the victims of non-family abductions.
* 115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.)
(Source: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2810#1)
There are ~50K kids <5 in SF, so .003% exceeds the entire population of all little kids in SF. That is helpful perspective. But even a single child is 100% too many.
If you are a parent and suspect someone's motives re: kids, trust your instincts and call the cops right away. They despise pedophiles as much as we do, and that's what we pay them for.
You don’t have to kidnap a child to cause them harm, anonymous. Pedophiles can do their thing in a car or the bushes, and I’ve dealt with the weirdos in the bushes at the Boat Park in GGP, among other places in the Outer Richmond. It’s good to know that so many people took this seriously and that the police followed up on it. Thanks, SFPD!
And you know Anonymous would have been here railing against the SFPD if they HADN’T followed up and something happened to a kid…
This is one of those “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance” kind of moments, with apologies to Thomas Jefferson. A single man lurking in the playground is not something to ignore, and I don’t see what taxes has to do with it. The email about this went viral pretty quickly…again, no taxes involved.
A cautious parent is not psycho.
Hey Anonymous! You are a coward, the exact type of person who would leave a comment like that. Anyway, bravo to all the moms who spread the word. And by the way, who works out in jeans and dress shoes right next to the playground? Bottom line is: don’t hang out in a playground if you don’t have kids. And if you do, be prepared to suffer the consequences.
lol! LOLZ!
I’m glad this incident got attention. On the other hand, if the original person had called Police right away instead of sending an e mail, a bit of the goose chase could have been prevented. I also hope the same amount of e mails etc will be circulated with the news that there was, in this instance, nothing wrong. Lastly, the SAFE program connects, neighbors looking out for neighbors on the playground on their block and in the neighborhood. Lets protect everyone, kids dogs parents, everyone in the Richmond. The resources are available to us!
What, no apology?
He wasn’t on the playground so he wasn’t doing anything wrong. And I can totally see a busy person heading to the park straight from work to get some exercise in before going home, even if it means he’s doing pull ups in slacks and dress shoes.
Now this poor guy probably doesn’t feel comfortable going to the park anymore.
It’s understandable people are stirred up but, please lets not call names. Something like this brings reactions of all types from the heart and gut as well as the mind. There is a great end to the story here, can we focus on that? Word got out, thanks to the SFPD there was quick follow up and the situation is resolved.
Thanks Richmond SFPD!
Whoever started the email should be chastised (though not publicly). Next time use some common sense and talk to the guy before you go trashing him for the world to see. And I don’t mean world as a metaphor for the internet; I’m in Florida and found out.
@Itt – “what was he doing around different school locales? And why would he have to position his phone as if he was taking photos if he was using the stop watch feature”
Your concern is normal, but your reaction is not. The explanation is sufficient and what you allege to be taking photos is really up to your own already prejudiced interpretation of what was happening. You can assume what you want but you shouldn’t always act on those assumptions.
not all pedophiles are dummies. with multiple postings about the incident stating that an undercover cop was following him, it gives the person enough time to clean-out his phone/computer and put together a story. pedophiles know the law and know how to ‘protect’ themselves. there could always be another laptop in the house that wasn’t in view of the officer….who knows. as for ‘resting’ in between reps at the playground…humm? i live literally a few steps from the park, and the people that come to the park to exercise, they are there to exercise…hardcore. and this park has multiple exercise stations that loop around the park where one can ‘rest/stretch’ in between reps. and the closest exercise station to the playground area is at least a few hundred yards away. humm….this guy is obviously a ‘not-so-smart” guy doing a ‘not-so-smart’ thing using his phone to ‘time’ his ”resting’ period in between his ‘intense exercise’ routine? several moms of st. james preschool saw the same guy hanging out in front of the school. i guess he was also just ‘resting’ in between his ‘intense exercise’ in front of the preschool watching the kids.
anyway, i’m proud that we live in a country that supports “innocent until proven guilty.” so, “Anonymous,” no need to be upset. this guy is innocent….right? i want to personally thank the mom who followed her intuition on this guy’s ‘suspicious’ activity. even if he was found innocent by the sf officer, you gave all of us an opportunity to have dialogues with out kids about stranger-safety at playgrounds, and having our preschools/schools give a refresher course on stranger-safety rules to our kids. THANK YOU!!!
This entire thing was ridiculous. I don’t understand why the police were not called right away instead of a witch hunt put out. Now even though the police cleared this guy anyone who sees him around town and doesn’t know this will think he is a villain. Granted he is a bit strange for working out in slacks but the police should have been called in the beginning to determine if he was a threat.
what witch hunt??? the police was contacted as well as community. why this attack on the mom who actually did something about it by alerting the authority and letting the rest of the community know. SHE DID THE RIGHT THING!!! why shouldn’t the community know about a suspicious activity at a playground where our kids frequent? or the community doesn’t have the right to know unless the person is found guilty of court of law? come-on, even guilty pedophiles are let off the hook due to technicalities of the law. thanks to this mom, we now know of this ‘innocent-friendly’ guy who likes to rest in between his exercise routines with his cellphone out at an arms length at playgrounds, and schools WATCHING OUT KIDS. so next time we see him around kids, we shouldn’t be alarmed because he is just a ‘weirdo”…right?
and to the person who is annoyed at this mom for generating a viral email all the way to florida, please use the delete button if the subject title is of no interest to you. you seem to be so on top of how this mom should have reacted when you weren’t even there to see this guy’s behavior in full view/in-person. ‘prejudice’ for having a negative reaction to a grown man at a playground without a kid taking photos of other kids…..wow! i guess all parents are prejudice then.
If you read the first few e-mails that were sent. The police were called about this man. We will do anything to protect our children. This man seems weird in general and if we scared him off then good. He has been spotted at several schools, so I do not think this is over. “mommy” had some really good points. We play T-ball in the field near that playground and I can assure you if I see this man I will call the police. If he has any sense he will not return to Mt. Lake Park. And anonymous “the poor chap” got what he deserved.
I think this has been blown out of proportion. It was irresponsible to post his picture and to send it to other parents. Is there such a thing as “innocent until proven guilty” in this town? What if it IS just a misunderstanding? Then this man will have been a victim of libelous emails and postings to mothers’ groups. Mountain Lake is a public park where many people DO exercise (although play areas need not be used in this manner). Also, his actions (while maybe “creepy”) are not necessarily criminal (except for entering a play area unaccompanied by a child). It is legal to take photographs in public. It is legal to stand and watch children play. It is legal to exercise in jeans and a jacket.
All things considered – he has been vindicated and now everyone must move on and continue to protect their children by keeping a watchful eye on them. If you are accompanying/minding your child, I don’t see how any person can pose a threat by loitering.
In the future, I’d recommend acting with more restraint – make a responsible report to authorities and refrain from humiliating a member of your community.
None of us needed to be there “daddy” to “see” the defendant’s behavior in full.
(though, at this juncture, it would have been useful to have a more grounded, less estrogen-enhanced, second or third observation)
She cried wolf! She cried fire!
She painted the picture of a monster and found him guilty.
She even sent a photo of this guy to the community and labeled him a criminal.
That, my dear, might cost you.
And, this blog (as great as it is) jumped on the bandwagon to prosecute without any due-diligence.
What “daddy”?!? A grown man can’t be at playground?!
How about a woman? How about a woman without a kid?
Is it okay then if a man (with a kid) takes pictures then?
Any of those options sit well with you “daddy”, “mommy”?
Please enlighten us all, from sea to shining sea, what in god’s name is okay by YOU and your pathetic band of holier-than-thou hypocrites.
This small playground happens to be in a small park with many other activities around it:
tennis courts, a small lake, exercise areas, jogging/walking paths, grassy fields, golf course, etc.
Google map for our out of state/city friends: Google Maps: input: 94121.
Scroll to: Lake ST, 12th AVE. Enhance.
This park was also funded by taxpayers (some of whom, albeit unbelievable, are single men and people without kids) who have the right to use it.
men, women, parents, kids,…oh my god…even single men!!!
Or, “daddy”, “mom”, “joscelyn”: do the rights of single men not exist anymore in your world of absolutes.
Next you will say that Jews can’t be…fill in the blank.
It’s people like you with that mindset that scare the hell out of me.
It’s people like you who go unchallenged with that mindset whose children will grow up even worse. History does repeat itself.
It’s also people like you that I will challenge to honor and continue the sacrifices of my grandfather and millions of others.
It’s more the mindset I’m ranting about and this whole episode is a concrete example of how dimwitted and pathetic some of you are.
So, are you guys going to jump on the AZ bandwagon and hunt down illegals, since, per most of your comments, you like to profile people you know nothing about and make assumptions based on pre-conceived notions.
Nazis did the same thing back in the day. Maybe you forgot.
“David”, I’m not calling names.
I’m just calling out the fascists in the community. I was born and raised here and it saddens me to no end that people still behave this way.
Community Bulletin Alert:
Watch out SF Richmond! There are people who live among us who consider you criminal if you don’t fit their mold.
Do not walk on “joscelyn”‘s side of the street She’s prepared consequences for the lot of you.
Even if you claim to be walking, she will find you guilty of stalking and post your picture.
Do you freaks call the cops too when you see a dark skinned man with a turban.
What if you see a dark skinned man with a turban in the park (by himself). Do you call the cops or the feds?
I mean, it’s the same kind of pathetic behavior on your part.
And, how do you protect your kids on the streets?
Please enlighten us. I would prefer the cops not waste theirs and my time for walking down your street.
You got plans for that too, or is the park yours and yours alone?!
The pros have cleared his name. THANK YOU SFPD.
Sounds like that’s not good enough for some of you skitzos.
Holy crap…some people don’t wear the SAME clothes you wear. He must be a villain, right “JD”.
Not all people exercise “hardcore”. Define “hardcore”.
Not all people have to live up to your pathetic standards.
All people were created equal and have certain “unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
…even in a world with a-holes such as yourselves and your absolutes.
This is my impression of you Homer Simpson simpletons:
“Hey, this guy doesn’t behave the way all those tv shows we watch tell us people should behave.
uh ohhhh…there’s a guy…oh crap…he’s alone…where’s my kid….
He’s holding a cell phone…He’s wearing street clothes…it’s a MAN, and he’s…he’s pretending to work out! And, he’s not even sweating. Ahhhhh!
It’s a Criminal!!! Let’s get ’em girls.”
Had this been a woman in the park doing this, or if this guy was with a woman, you radicals would think nothing of it.
I’m all for protecting kids. I’m also for protecting the innocent.
If you’re worried about your kids, then be there for them.
Rafa said it right too:
“Your concern is normal, but your reaction is not. The explanation is sufficient and what you allege to be taking photos is really up to your own already prejudiced interpretation of what was happening. You can assume what you want but you shouldn’t always act on those assumptions.”
Right on “youngSFmama”!
Have some freakin’ common sense.
I hope this guy slams a defamation and libel suit against the lot of you pro-vigilante, guilty-until-proven-innocent babbling bastards.
I encourage this guy to return to the park and to start taking names and numbers, especially yours “mom”.
Hey psycho “Mom”, so, you don’t think this is over?
Warning: Single young man spotted at schools.
Single young men by “daddy-mommy” decree shall have no friends to visit.
Or, maybe you don’t want it to be over because “daddy” isn’t giving “mommy” the attention she needs in her daily life?
Maybe the tv tube isn’t living up to your expectations? Too many daytime infomercials draining your life?
Nice witch hunt though you paranoid bunch of freaks.
This guy most-likely lives in the area, like the rest of us, and may even have legit business with St. James. Who are you to decide! Who are you to condemn!
Now go back to your regularly scheduled dull lives and suck down your Oprah.
oh, and btw…a little about me:
I’m a guy, I don’t have kids, and I will now go to that playground and enjoy
what my tax dollars have helped build and enjoy the serenity of the park, and maybe even enjoy a swing on the swings.
Maybe I might even run into a couple of you wanting to take my picture and post around town with a “Wanted” sign.
btw…how many crimes took place (in the Richmond)?
There was mention of a woman being assaulted behind the Beach Chalet a couple weeks ago…
(but yes, it’s doubtful even this heinous crime could have been prevented by the reallocation of a few resources on this)
i heard this person was seen doing pull ups at another playground. if that’s true, i wonder if he drives around the city to visit different playgrounds to exercise? hey, anonymous, i don’t want my kid to be one of the 0.03%. numbers and statistics don’t mean a thing when it comes to children. most people with kids agree with this, i think.
“i heard this person was seen doing pull ups at another playground.”
I heard he was a witch! Burn him!
The hysteria surrounding this episode – even after the police identified the guy and talked to him – is beyond the pale. The lot of you sound to be straight out of Alabama. Westendher has it right. Consider some Xanax and some common sense.
Westender, of course, we’re the freaks, and NOT YOU, as obviously evidenced in your blog! max fischer…wow, i thought you’re against stereotyping people…..humm “the lot of you sound to be straight out of alabama”…ok alabama would be happy to hear that. everyone is entitled to their opinion, but calling names and making malicious comments, not to mention digressing off topic because it doesn’t sit well with you? that just sounds so………well…..i thought there was a minimum age requirement to blog. you are in a league of your own with the level of rationalization as demonstrated in your blogs. so you go! you practice your freedom of speech!
Mommy – I could have been more artful in my response. Let’s try again: A number of folks creating a bogey man out of thin air and generally over-reacted even if they had the best intentions. Then, after the fuzz investigated and found nothing of concern, a number of the same people continued to over-react – yourself in particular – fabricating theories of how this guy could still be a pedophile: He could have another laptop. He could have cleared out his phone. Etc, etc.
Is he or isn’t he, Mommy? If you don’t know – and the police or anyone else can’t say otherwise – then you should avoid the idle “coulda’s” and the soft defamation of someone who’s story you don’t know.
Westender- Wow, nicely done! EVERYONE
We all pay the taxes and deserve to be able to enjoy public spaces. Westender well describes and I agree with a lot of what he says. Some of the attitudes have been sold and are a bit far from how people really are but hey they are populist messages.As a single guy I must offer: Moms and women have crossed the street simply because they see an un-accompanied male walking down the street. Women teachers can take kids to the bathroom but not men. There is an underlying message easily pulled out of some of the comments- any single man is suspect. Sucks. Not realistic either. Blame whomever, media that blasts perv stories every day a basic fear everyone is out to get you, pick one you like. Still the attitude and paranoia suck. The reaction towards men share a trait with the reaction to anyone we don’t know these days. We have been programmed to trust no-one. Paranoia sells, ask the folks that make antibacterial hand wash, Smith & Wesson Lady 38 special guns, you name it. Paranoia is just another emotion that is a commodity to be traded on. Ask Arizona.
I also firmly believe that before starting a witch hunt make sure there is a witch. Before you pull the trigger, why not be sure? The hysteria and stereotyping are what’s really creepy here. There also seems to be aftermath here that needs cleaning up. How could that happen? An honest look at attitudes and willingness to change an opinion that does not work; perhaps realization that accusations circulated can stir a lot of un-intended consequences. Right now the comments feel to me like people are throwing rocks and running back into the cave. I hope we’ve come farther than that. Lastly to the poor guy, sorry about the scarlet letter, you certainly did not and do not deserve it. On the other hand, openly carry a gun, shoot anyone that disagrees but avoid the mirror, it may cause another shooting.
FYI – The public ordinance that forbids adults without children from entering the playground wasn’t purely established because of pedophiles or the like. It was also to ensure that gang related activity didn’t happen on the playgrounds. Many playgrounds include shared spaces which adults are allowed to use. I don’t have a problem with any of this. Taxes go to pay a lot of things and not all things are open for everyone to use. Big deal, that’s life. There are plenty more public spaces that we can all enjoy whether or not we have kids.
What I don’t get here is the bashing of people and this sense of entitlement. It’s not about you or me. Playgrounds about kids and ensuring they have safe places to play – safe in all sense of the word. I agree that our society is a full of fear and that it is very damaging but no one is helping with the rants. Use your energy to be productive. Volunteer at a school and show the world that single men aren’t “bad people”.
Westender, David
Sorry, playgrounds are only public spaces for adults there with kids. There is a law that you can’t be in the playground unless you are there with a child. So stay out. I have to say that I always scan for unaccompanied adults, men or women, in playgrounds, years before this incident occurred. He shouldn’t have been there, the signs are posted. Stay out if you don’t have kids, it’s the law…if not, be prepared to have the police called or be asked to leave. And if you don’t have kids, you don’t know what it’s like to have daily responsibility for another human being. Protecting kids from abduction/harm from others is only 1% of it. Once they are very active it’s near impossible to watch them every second. Also, when you are walking/strolling/carrying a child you are more vulnerable too, not just the child, as I found out from being robbed while holding my 3-month old. So David, try being a 105lb, 5’3 female with a child and see what it feels like to be vulnerable. Then make a comment. You’d cross the street too, under the right circumstances. Both of you, try caring of another human being 24/7 for years, be small and physically vulnerable, and then make a comment. David, Sorry if you feel untrusted as a man, maybe the “mirror” should be a collective one at all men, since I’d venture 99% of violence is caused by men. Women have been powerless to change it, all we can do protect ourselves best we can.
Thanks for expressing your viewpoint Lisa. We certainly agree playgrounds are for adults with kids. In fact I welcomed the opening ceremonies at Lincoln Park so I could get a look at the place after the remodel. I have no interest in crossing the family boundaries lawful or societal.
As for the rest, agree with you or not, I understand how you feel although I cannot walk in your shoes. I have however been working on women’s and family rights issues for well I stopped measuring the time and efforts, and giving my energies so some of the things you have mentioned can be changed. Where we disagree is on women being powerless to change their situation. many other men also are trying or stand ready to help also.
I think I’ve made enough comments on this topic so will take some lessons learned and move ahead. The comments are turning into a mini blog.
David, Thank you for your work on women’s and family’s rights I’m surprised to hear that since you gave a “right on” to a misogynstic rant from westender stereotyping moms as TV-watching and brainless, nervous nellies who are neglected by their husbands and so need to invent drama to make there lives more satisfying. If you’ve really been working on these issues, maybe you should start there and not support men like that? Or call them out on it? The women’s movement has been working for decades to eradicate that stereotype, but here you are agreeing with it. I actually am not suspicious of everyone, even with my first-hand experience of being robbed. My son and I often converse with people we don’t know in parks, restaurants, shops & supermarket. It’s one of the things I love about San Francisco. However, there is always a “filter” that is on, has to be on, whether you’re a woman or a mother or both; it’s just the way it is until there is real and widespread change. I don’t believe I or women are powerless to keep trying to make change; only that it hasn’t occurred yet. So self-defense, a sense of caution and controlled amount of suspicion are unfortunately necessary, along with proactive efforts to effect long-term change. Having self defense training and a can of mace did me no good when I was robbed, how could I even reach it, let alone spray it with an infant in a carrier on my chest? How could I kick or run or anything without risking injury to the baby? We can train and arm ourselves, join marches and give to causes to feel powerful, but prevention is often the best cure. Self-defensive attitude is not by default “paranoia” or part of a culture of fear, although I agree mainstream media and entertainment do feed us daily does of it. The reality is that the ideal world is not here yet, it may come, it may not. Until then, if someone looks suspicious, or I am feeling vulnerable, I’ll cross the street, and not feel bad about it. I’d like to thank the police and the moms who called and emailed the information. I have to agree that just because the police found nothing now, doesn’t mean this guy is above board, or that someone else behaving the same way will not be up to something.
This poor guy deserves an apology!
Welcome to San Francisco, 5/10 people that live here “look”creepy.
This guys picture was plastered all over the web – it’s not right.
It was wrong of the person who took that picture – to publish it with a creepy label.
Hopefully, the person who took the picture, apologized to this man.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
I was a recipient of the SFPD letter from station captain Correia thanking parents for their vigilance, and affirming that “it is a crime [in San Francisco] for an adult to be in a children’s playground unaccompanied by a child.” THAT is why the case warranted undercover surveillance: because his presence in the playground, as evidenced by the circulated photograph, was a crime. There was no witch hunt, period. A photograph of a criminal, committing a crime, was circulated. Get off your high horse, everyone.
I should add that the letter also instructed citizens and parents to *not* approach the subject, but to report his presence near children immediately to 911. To 911. Immediately. If anything, this chap is a victim of police panic! But then, it would seem unreasonable to view as a victim someone with foresight so limited as to allow himself to be witnessed and photographed committing a crime in public.
But certainly, he can do as he likes, since no arrest was made. He can continue to frequent playgrounds unaccompanied by a child. And he can be there to work out and use his cel phone stopwatch. And instead of taking pictures and sending emails and calling the police, someone can get in his grill about it. He can be offended. The other person can be offended, too. If the gentleman athlete has too indignant a reaction to the confrontation, that other person will probably become indignant. That’s the stage right before anger. Anger can lead to thoughtless, instinctual action–a potential that is within most human beings. Which is why, I would imagine, that the law exists in the first place: to keep uninformed citizens from placing themselves in danger by getting too close to other people’s kids.
Placing too much faith in the social contract, to the point where one flouts social convention and heedlessly provokes a community to anger, whether within one’s rights or not, has been the beginning of many tragedies throughout history. Coming between a parent and his or her young has also been the genesis of swift and savage action throughout the animal kingdom. Here’s hoping that this episode, when it is finally over, will have come to a peaceful conclusion. People, after all, are people. And above all, people are dangerous. This is a fact that cannot be credibly disputed–the deadliest creatures on earth are we. One with an impulse to self-preservation is wise to walk carefully among us. This is popularly called “street smarts,” a good thing to have in the middle of a densely populated city like San Francisco, where all kinds of mayhem can break at the drop of a hat. And does. Constantly. If this fellow in question is a harmless fitness buff, he just got a good dose of those street smarts. Now we’ll see if he uses them.
Be careful out there, everyone. (And this time I mean everyone, whereas in my previous post I only meant the people who got on their high horse).
Is this guy a person or the garden gnome that travels everywhere and get’s photo’d. Time for a restraining order/citation iF IT IS TRUE.
I’m a mom who is also a psychologist who does sex offender evaluations and treatment. Please, whatever you do trust your instincts and report and follow up on all suspicious activity.Becoming reactive and stating statistical probabilities does not erase the very real danger to children. The problem with the statistics posited here by the previous poster is the numbers pertain only to SOLVED cases of child abduction. There are no statistics on those who have successfully abducted children, are there? We do not know the deomographics of perpetrators who serially abduct, abuse, imprison and/or kill children without ever being caught. We assume that they are similar to those who are caught.
Those characteristics are : male, relatively young (30’s or younger, rarely older than 40’s), single, employed, no significant criminal record for other types of offenses, no biological children.
In my professional experience, the “creepy” ones get caught faster, but also tend to reoffend faster without containment and treatment. The more “normal” ones fly under the radar and commit more offenses before getting caught.
The most chilling part is that there’s no telling how advanced the sexual compulsion is by eyeballing somebody. I’ve worked with sex offenders prior to sentencing , while in the state prison system and when on parole. There is no way to know. These folks get consumed with the preoccupation and feed it with increasingly risky behaviors prior to actually touching a kid. And these people lie. Lie to themselves, to others and ESPECIALLY to the police.
Would you expect a perpetrator to tell the truth when questioned?
Never tell yourself you are being paranoid when sensing something is wrong. Document, report, and track. Whoever this guy is, a visit from the police didn’t stop him. Getting held for questioning won’t stop him. Getting arrested, prosecuted and put in mandated treatment ( while being lo- jacked) is a out the only way these folks stop. For awhile. We’re sure of that. Long term, not so sure.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me.
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In my book, when it comes to the safety of children, there is no such thing as too paranoid. I tell people
this a blog.
people can post what might be true, what they heard down the street from Betty-Lou…
so sad.
wish the police could verify all of these – “i heard…”
Please visit http://richmondforum.wordpress.com/ to see our blog where the current station newsletter and periodic public safety advisories are posted.
Closing comments for this post. You can find the latest update on this story at:
https://richmondsfblog.com/2010/05/01/latest-update-from-richmond-pd-on-the-mt-lark-park-incident/
Sarah B.