Be aware, know your neighbors

It's been a memorable summer.

Not just for the hot sun that has kept our windows open, but for the darker elements that have slammed them shut.

The murder of Teresa Butz and the wounding of her partner in their South Park home by an apparent stranger sent a wave of disbelief and worry over the city.

And in South Seattle's Othello section, neighbors are adjusting to the fact that sex offender Joseph Aqui has moved in.

I am one of those neighbors — and one of those concerned that not enough people had been made aware of Aqui, a level 3 offender deemed likely to re-offend. There are language barriers in this part of town. Not everyone has access to the Web and the ability to check the state's online sex-offender registry.

I said as much in my July 17 column, and the Seattle Police Department responded, scheduling a community meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S.

Others responded with the usual suggestions: Kill the offenders. Or castrate them. Or launch them out to sea.

Then there was Lenell Nussbaum, a Seattle criminal-defense lawyer and a member of the Washington Sentencing Guidelines Commission.

Nussbaum understands the law requiring sex offenders to register, and how public notification is intended to make communities safer.

"But I don't understand what people are actually doing differently with knowledge that a convicted sex offender lives in the neighborhood," she said.

It's a good question, one I have asked myself. Shouldn't we all live with an awareness of our surroundings, whether we are far from home or in our own front yard?

I don't want to give Aqui any power over how I live my life. And yet, ignoring his proximity seems foolish.

Where is the middle ground?

Lindsay Palmer is the King County Sexual Assault and Resource Center's director of education and prevention. She will be at Thursday's gathering, and she'll tell neighbors this:

"Aware and educated adults have the greatest impact on preventing sexual violence."

If part of the community doesn't speak English, Palmer said, find someone who can convey the information at gatherings where other languages are spoken, such as at churches or clubs.

Palmer doesn't recommend showing children pictures of sex offenders on the state Web site. That would only create fear. Instead, educate kids to be wary of adults who try to engage them in conversation or ask for help.

"Adults should only ask another adult for help," she said.

And everyone, kids and adults, should listen to their gut.

"If you're getting a funny feeling, trust that that is a survival technique," Palmer said. "That doesn't mean that this person is a sex offender, but something got your attention to think that something isn't right."

And while everyone is gathered to learn about potential threats in their neighborhood, it's inevitable that people will connect, network — and become better neighbors.

"It is a common experience to feel like your world is a little less safe than it was before," Palmer said. "But out of that comes raised awareness and a broader sense of community. And that's how safety is done."

It's got to be better than closing our windows to the world.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com.

She is praying for Teresa and her partner. How brave they were.