News and Information

New system checks for sex offenders
Sun Herald, March 23, 2006, Rachel Alexander

ENGLEWOOD -- Sarasota County schools are beefing up security.

A new computerized system known as Raptor will be used to check all visitors entering schools in the county, whether the visitor is a parent known to school personnel or a first-time visitor.

Englewood Elementary School recently acquired the Raptor system -- officially the V-soft system from Raptor Technologies of Houston -- and the rest of the schools in Sarasota County will have devices in place soon, said Sheila Weiss, communications and community relations representative for the school district.

The verification process operates quickly, Englewood Elementary School Principal Pam Buchanan said.

"In a matter of moments we can identify sexual predators and offenders," she said. "It's a state-of-the-art electronic system that is being utilized. I highly support it. Basally, it's making sure individuals are falling under the Jessica Lundsford Act and making sure we have a safe school for our children."

Without giving specifics, Weiss said the system already has identified at least one sex offender trying to enter school property in the county.

"That said to us, our children's lives are very important to us," she said. "If this can help one child from being harmed, it was worth it."

Larry Leon, who is in charge of the district's new security system, said the device instantly checks driver licenses or identification cards to determine whether someone is a registered or undocumented sex offender.

"If you do have a match, it automatically text-messages law enforcement," he said.

The resource officer at the school and the sheriff's office get messages, then check to make sure the information is correct, Leon said.

Raptor Technologies has a database from 48 states that is updated continually. When an ID card is scanned, it goes to the database and checks everything under fields such as name, age and date of birth.

If a visitor is cleared, the system prints out a visitor's pass.

Leon said his office has put the system in half of the schools in the district. The system is first being installed in elementary schools, and then will be put in other schools.

Buchanan said the system had other capabilities, other than identifying people with a history of sex offenses.

"Once the driver's license is scanned and the results are verified, we also verify what the nature of the visit is before the adult goes to a classroom," she said. "There are also certain people who are allowed on campus but have limited access. And this will identify who those people are."

Charlotte County schools do not have the system or one like it in place, and the school system is not planning to install any high-tech security at this time.

Steven Cummings, head of security for the Charlotte County district, said the system was a good one, but expensive.

"I think there's some validity to it. There are some good possibilities with it," he said. "I'm sure it's a lot quicker to use. I think it has some real valid points to using a system like that, but it's kind of pricey."

Cummings said, for now, Charlotte County is sticking with the system they have in place, checking individuals against student information cards if school staff does not personally know someone entering the school.

You can e-mail Rachel Alexander at ralexander@sun-herald.com.