Sex Offenders Under Scrutiny in Hermosa

There are 11 sex offenders registered with the city of Hermosa Beach, according to recent police department records. Det. Mick Gaglia of the Hermosa Beach  Investigations Bureau said that the bureau, police department and community groups, such as Neighborhood Watch, have been monitoring the registry to keep families safe.

"There has been an increase of one [sex offender] in the past year," he said.

Gaglia added that state and city budget cuts would not hamper the police department's efforts to monitor registered sex offenders in the area.

"We're a small department in a small town," he said. "So we are very aware of what's going on."

Chris Tutko, director of Neighborhood Watch for the National Sheriffs' Association, said that if neighborhoods work as a team to monitor crime, they can act as the eyes and ears of the police department. 

"If you know the neighborhood and you know your neighbors, you can tell when something is out of line," he said. "You can tell when a particular vehicle is not supposed to be at a particular place, you can tell when people are in the neighborhood that shouldn't be there."

Geoff Grossman, manager of the National Neighborhood Watch Institute, said that this level of community awareness helps keep  neighborhoods safe.

"It's not just for protecting communities from sex predators, but any criminals," he said.

The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch sends weekly newsletters to residents with crime updates. Gaglia agreed that Neighborhood Watch is helpful but he advises parents to also be mindful of the following sex offender facts and safety tips:

▪ Readily available Internet access and camera phones make it easier to fall prey to sexual crimes. 

▪ Parents should monitor their children's use of the computer by checking what websites or chat rooms they are visiting. Parents should also monitor the text messages on their children's phones.

▪ Parents need to be aware of their surroundings when they are out in public spaces.

▪ Parents should instruct their children to check in with them periodically when playing outside, either by calling or coming home every so often.

▪ According to Gaglia, boys and girls are at equal risk of becoming victims of sexual crime. "Everyone should be cautious," he said. "Be aware of whom you are talking to and be aware of being approached by strangers."

▪ In 1945, California became the first state in the nation to enact a sex offender registration law.