MIDLAND, Texas — Neighborhoods are peaceful places, but with the possibility of danger nearby, neighbors are on high alert.
Midlanders that live near Fannin Elementary just got a not so exciting new neighbor - a sex offender.
"Talk to your neighbors. That's the best way and just report anything that seems suspicious. I'm right across from a school, so not a whole lot of people loitering, but you also have alarm systems and whatnot. That helps too," Sara Foster, Fannin Elementary neighbor said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says when you get a notice like this in the mail, the best thing to do is to talk to you kids about talking to strangers.
Make sure adults aren't asking them for assistance, make sure your doors and vehicles are locked and maybe consider an alarm system if it will make you feel safer.
According to the DPS website, adult sex offenders register either for life or ten years following discharge from state supervision.
DPS is required to send a high risk notice to every residence within a 3 block radius of the address of any civil commitment and high risk level offender.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles says there are such things as child safety zones, which prevent offenders registered from living within 500 or 1,000 feet of schools and parks.
All their information including for example their date of birth, home address and eye color is listed online for the public to see.
According to city data, there are over 550 offenders in Midland and over 460 offenders in Odessa currently.
If a sex offender fails to comply with any requirements, it's a felony offense.
DPS says it's better to be informed about your community than not.
