News and Information

Computer Helps Keep Sex Offenders Off School Campuses
WFTV.com, Ocala, FL

May 15, 2007 – A new computer system is keeping sex offenders off Marion County school campuses. It was just installed last month and has already red-flagged two people.

The new system ensures that anyone who gets one of the visitor badges has already been checked through a national database to make sure they are not a sex offender.

The trial is over and principals in Marion County say their students are safer thanks to a system called Raptor.

"Once their ID is scanned, it's going to cross reference it with a sex offender and predator database," said Principal Jeannine Mills, Oakcrest Elementary School.

All schools throughout the county now use the system that scans IDs and then completes a nearly-instant background check on anyone who walks onto the campus.

H.L. Jones Elementary School was the pilot school for the new technology. Within weeks, the software had done its job, when a parent on the sex offender list came to a school program.

"He said, 'What are you doing?' We explained and he said, 'I was gonna come see my daughter, but I don't think I will now,'" explained Principal Don Raymond, H.L. Jones Elementary School.

The Raptor system has led to a 'no ID, no admission' policy aimed at keeping kids safe. Parents couldn't be happier, even if many believe a high-profile abduction and murder led the school district to spend tens of thousands of dollars for the system.

"I think it's excellent and it's been a long time coming and it's sad that something like the Jessica Lunsford situation had to happen for it to be put in place," said parent Heidi Maier.

The system has only been up and running for a few weeks countywide, but has raised red-flags on several visitors who later were determined not to be on any sex predator list.

School officials realize the background checks might create some unwarranted inconvenience for some, but it's a small price to pay for safety.