Sex offenders and pedophiles dominate the news lately between the allegations against Michael Jackson and the return of the Southampton teen lured by a predator via e-mail. Just weeks ago, there was an attempted abduction in Lloyd Harbor and then Syosset-area parents received district-wide letters from school principals stating that a convicted sex offender now resides in Syosset. Although the letters did not name the person, it offered websites like www. parentsformeganslaw.com so concerned parents can investigate. The sex offender had been convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl and served 6 months in prison.

According to area residents, they are nervous because the danger is very real and hitting too close to home. According to Parents for Megan's Law, a non-profit child advocacy organization based in Stony Brook, Nassau County currently lists about 830 registered sex offenders, while Suffolk County has 470.

"It's a horrible sign of the times when you don't know who you can trust with your children," said Tricia who grew up in Syosset and made the choice to stay here and raise her children. "We live in what we consider an extremely safe neighborhood and yet we worry and are afraid to let our children out of our sight."

In a community effort, Syosset Central School District, the Town of Oyster Bay and the Nassau County Police Department separately are addressing the situation by educating parents and children throughout Syosset, Woodbury and Muttontown about stranger danger. All of the officials emphasize that parents should know where their children are and whom they are with at all times. This includes who they are talking to on cell phones and who they are e-mailing and chatting with on the internet.

Nassau County Police Commissioner James Lawrence explained that a stranger does not necessarily mean someone unfamiliar to your child. The sex offender or pedophile uses power to control and lure the child to follow him or her, he said. "An aware community is a safe community. Take the time to talk to your children about these dangers and the actions you would like them to take in the event they are faced with such a situation," said Lawrence.

In the near future, the Nassau County Police Department will be distributing a Stranger-Danger pamphlet to all eight precincts in Nassau County. They can also be picked up at Police Headquarters, 1490 Franklin Avenue, Mineola NY, 11501.

Syosset Central School District's website listed a Newsday report from February 17 that the police department is investigating five separate incidents involving children from 7 to 13 who were followed and approached by a man unfamiliar to them.

"We are extremely proactive in safeguarding our students. Syosset Schools has a two-fold program that involves education and prevention. Our elementary teachers regularly speak to their students on how to be safe with strangers," said Dr. Carole G. Hankin, superintendent of Syosset Central School District. She adds, "Our students are taught to immediately report any inappropriate contact or communications with an unknown adult on or off school grounds. We are very security conscious and work together with the community to ensure the safety of our students. We post notices about any incidents with strangers on our district website."

"It's sad when an elementary-aged boy has to accompany his mother to the ladies' room because she's afraid to let him go to the men's room alone," says Dawn, mother of two in Syosset. She then adds "These days you can't even let the kids stand on the bus stop without hovering over them."

Michael Cotsonas, director of transportation for Syosset School District says, "Our bus drivers will not allow kindergarten students to depart the bus without authorized supervision. Bus drivers are on the alert for strangers at bus stops and are instructed that if a child is uncomfortable for any reason to keep the child on the bus and return him or her to school. They watch out for all children and are very safety conscious."

Parents for Megan's Law recently has established a way to send e-mail alerts to Long Islanders that Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments have put out sex offender notifications for their communities. These alert the public to Level 2 (moderate risk) and Level 3 (high risk) sex offenders. Information posted on various websites includes the town, offender's name, birth date, photograph, level of crime committed, conviction date and duration of jail time.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto said, "While child abductions are very rare in our town, it is important for parents to educate their children on how to protect themselves against kidnapping, exploitation and cyberspace predators. It is also imperative that parents be involved in their children's lives. There is no substitute for parental attention and supervision."

He points out that the Town of Oyster Bay recently mailed brochures to all town residents with tips on how to safeguard their children. It contains a wealth of information, including additional resources for assistance on child safety.

Town of Oyster Bay

Public Information Office

624-6380

Syosset Central School District

www.syosset.k12.ny.us

Parents for Megan's Law

www.parentsformeganslaw.com

NY State Department of Criminal Justice

www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us.

Childhelp USA-report abuse

www.childhelpusa.org

Child Abuse Prevention Services

www.kidsafe-caps.org.