I think the most important thing I have done in this campaign for the City Council is to alert parents living close to registered sex offenders.
I spent an exhausting week visiting every one of the 33 locations of registered sex offenders in Culver City. I challenge my opposing candidates to do the same.
It will certainly be an education in the underside and dark side of Culver City.
I found three registered sexual offenders living in a putrid, smelly halfway house on Lindblade.
I went into the building and quickly realized that all the tenants had something wrong with them.
I discovered the building was a halfway house for sex offenders and other miscreants that society has cast aside. They were all within walking distance of town center and of Lin Howe Elementary School.
I personally knocked on all the doors of houses where there were children to warn them about the registered sex offenders on their block. I have found that many Latinos and Hispanics with children are completely surprised when I tell them that there is a registered sexual offender next door or across the street.
It seems the registered sex offenders like to be in places where people will not pay attention to them or not be aware of their past crimes.
There are some areas in Culver City where the neighbors have gotten together to keep a close watch on the registered sexual offenders. However, this is not enough. I think the Police Dept. should alert all the neighbors of registered sexual offenders. They should have flyers, in Spanish and English, explaining the dangers of having a registered sexual offender living nearby.
Robert Zirgulis
I think it is almost criminal that our police department has not informed neighbors of these registered sex offenders about how there is practically no cure for these people.
Here is an update on my meeting last week with Police Chief Don Pedersen and Asst. Police Chief Scott Bixby regarding sex offenders in Culver City.
Chief Pedersen and Asst. Chief Bixby were cordial and attentive.
I told them that I had been canvassing the neighbors of the 33 registered sex offenders in Culver City. I was shocked to hear that some of these registered sex offenders have been babysitting their neighbors’ kids!
Some people were aware that the registered sex offenders were living next door. Others were completely caught unawares.
I visited a neighbor of a sex offender on Washington Boulevard, and I recognized her as a student of mine in the CCUSD.
Her parents do not speak English. They were completely taken aback when she translated to them my flyer on the sex offender next door who had committed a sexual offense against a child under 14 years of age.
There is another registered registered sex offender on Overland Avenue who lives across the street from the library. He has a bird’s eye view of Farragut Elementary School less than 100 yards away. A few residents of the building were aware of the registered sex offender. In fact, someone sent me a picture of him at a birthday party.
A lot of the registered sex offenders live in apartment complexes where I could not gain access to warn the neighbors.
Chief Pedersen says the Police Dept. is doing more than what they are legally required to do regarding registered sexual offenders. Instead of visiting them once a year, the police try to visit these guys four times a year.
Unfortunately, the police do not inform the registered sex offenders’ neighbors about these depraved persons living next door.
California today has the largest number of registered sex offenders of any state.
California's Megan’s Law, enacted in 1996, allows local law enforcement agencies to notify the public about sex offender registrants found to be posing a risk to the public.
I asked Chief Pedersen why this wasn't being done. He simply stated that it was not required.
I want to state categorically that if I am elected to the City Council, I will require that the Police Dept. notify all neighbors of the presence of registered sex offenders in the city.
Chief Pedersen said he would look into the case where I mentioned that a sex offender was babysitting one of his neighbors. Perhaps the media can follow up on that one.
Megan’s Law is named after seven-year old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by a known child molester who had moved across the street from the family without their knowledge.
I urge all your readers to visit the Megan's Law website: www.meganslaw.ca.gov. to become aware and vigilant of the registered sexual offenders in our midst.
Here are two letters I have received on this subject:
The following letter was sent to me by Greg Smith, a retired Culver City police lieutenant, whom I consider a straight forward, no-nonsense whistleblower:
Robert:
The last time I remember Culver City Police Dept., having a very active sex offender identification and tracking program was 1998.
Since then, the department has done little in the area of sex offenders living in the city.
Re Chief Pedersen's comments about the department doing more than legally required:
Red light traffic cameras are not legally required but Culver City has a red light program, and it produces revenue.
Chasing sex offenders does not produce revenue. So they get little attention from the Police Dept. Unless a sexual predator moves in next door to a Culver City official, you will not get a lot of response from the Culver City police.
If a sex offender moves next door to a Culver City official, they will get a personal response from a police captain and a team of detectives. At least those high paid captains will have some work to do.
Here is a letter from a resident, Laurie Levine:
Mr. Z.:
Sometime last week I came home to find information about all the registered sex offenders who live in Culver City. Personally I want to thank you.
About eight years ago, I lived in the 4200 block of Revere Place. Since there were more than 30 kids under the age of 14 living on the street I decided to visit the Megan’s Law website to see if any sex offenders were living on my street.
Much to my amazement, I did.
After visiting the Police Dept. and getting the information on (a certain person), I was mortified. I told the police I was going to go door-to-door to warn my neighbors.
The police actually warned me, that the certain person) had more rights than I did, and that I could get in trouble for outing him to my neighbors for the child molester that he is.
Although (the certain person) owns and sometimes lives at the residence on Revere, he also resides somewhere in Long Beach.
While some neighbors thanked me profusely, others judged me harshly. Some neighbors admitted they would trust (the certain person) to babysit their children, saying it was all a big mistake.
How sad that some people would rather defend a molester than protect their children against them.
If there is anything I can do to assist you in ridding Culver City of these predators, please let me know.
Ms. Levine may be contacted at asexy_bbw@yahoo.com
Mr. Smith may be contacted at www.scsinternationalinvestigations.com
Mr. Zirgulis, a candidate for the City Council, may be contacted at zirgulisr@yahoo.com
