Justice for Jessica

Justice for Jessica Ridgeway

by ColoradoStrong on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 5:10pm
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Our focus needs to be re-shifted now.  You are all correct...if there were ever a time to be ColoradoStrong, it's now.

We know she is no longer with us.  We also know, there is a monster of a predator close to home!  So what now?  We know that between last Friday and this past Wednesday, when her body was found, she was still less than 10 miles from home.  Chances are she may have known this person and he lives in/near Westminster.

1.  If you have ANY, and I mean ANY, tips...even if you feel it's insignificant, immediately call the tip line at 303-658-4336.

2.  Pay attention to suspicious behavior of someone you may know or have noticed.  They may have recently shaved off facial hair or got a drastic haircut/died hair.  There could be a sudden change in personality or work behaviors like unusual and unexplained absences.

Psychological profile in Jessica Ridgeway case:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/jessica-ridgeway/fbi-releases-psychological-profile-of-suspect-in-jessica-ridgeway-kidnapping

3.  YOU-know your neighborhood so you can recognize when something appears suspicious!  Get to know your neighbors.  Take a mental note of what they drive and what cars are normally parked in the street.  Organize with other parents to avoid having your children walk alone.  If they HAVE to walk alone, it is your responsibility to talk to them about how to protect themselves in the event they are put in a dangerous situation.  See links below.  WE have the advantage and amazing tool of social media.  Continue to share, tweet and post information and remind people to think hard about anything out of the ordinary they can think of, especially near Westminster last Friday.

4.  Don't stop talking to your kids.  Now, more than ever, is the time to re-iterate safety, being aware of their surroundings, how to respond to different situations and who they should or should not trust.  "Don't talk to strangers" doesn't cut it...especially if they are NOT a stranger!  We do not want our kids living in fear, so educate them, don't scare them.  They're receptive.  They're smart.  They're LISTENING.  MOST child abductions are by people they know, recognize or are familiar with.  That's a fact.

 Common sense and realistic "stranger danger" tips. I really thought this blog was extremely insightful:


 Helping Children Cope


Safety Tips for Kids who walk to School

5. BE AVAILABLE when your kids need to talk and listen to what they are saying.  Don't brush off "weird" behavior by another adult suddenly befriending your child.  When your child isn't at home, be available as much as humanly possible in case someone needs to notify you.  I want to add here, I do NOT blame Jessica's mom.  I've let my kids walk further than she let hers before. I've missed calls from my kids' schools before.   We have to discard the "it only happens to other people" mentality.  Although these situations don't happen often, clearly they still happen!

6.  If you have any tips regarding what to look for in a suspect in a situation like this or how to handle speaking with your kids, please feel free to post.

This monster will be caught and brought to justice.  I firmly believe that.

~Kylah

We will stay ColoradoStrong