Stop Child Predators: “Parents Should Be On Alert With ‘Strangers’ In Communities”
ARLINGTON, TX – At a recent public hearing of the Arlington City Council in Texas, local moms raised concern about the negative and dangerous impacts that short-term rentals (STR) are having in their communities.
The growth of the short-term rental industry has become a significant concern among parents and law enforcement agencies. The safety challenge parents face with STRs in neighborhoods is well documented, as every week communities across the country are experiencing more neighbors being replaced with strangers.
One mother, Jessica Black, expressed fear for her daughter given the close proximity of an Airbnb. “Several months ago, I discovered that there is an STR around the corner and now that I’m aware of its presence, I’m nervous to let my daughter ride her bike around the corner to her friend’s house because I have no way of knowing if there might be a sex offender staying in that STR,” stated Black.
Click here to watch Jessica’s testimony to the city council in Arlington, Texas.
Tiffany Morgan, another Arlington mother, worries about her neighbor’s home that has recently gone up for sale. “On the other side of us they’re selling their home, and I don’t know who’s going to move in there. Is it going to be another STR owner like the guy three doors down from us on the other side who lives in Dallas and owns about 30 other properties in DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth), who is not responsible to us, who has no accountability to our neighborhood, “ questioned Morgan.
Click here to watch Tiffany’s testimony to the city council in Arlington, Texas.
These mothers are not naïve or alone in their concerns.
Stacey Rumenap, President of Stop Child Predators, has said the group has started raising awareness of the potential negative impacts of short-term rentals. She said the new trend of commercial Airbnb hosts buying up residential homes and apartments to rent out as ‘illegal hotels’ has raised concern with local community leaders across the country.
“With a revolving door of strangers coming and going from short-term rental properties, tools like sex offender lists are becoming obsolete as there is no safeguard in place to stop a child predator from renting an Airbnb property next door,” stated Stacey Rumenap. “Home sharing sites like Airbnb have not done enough to combat the unacceptable actions of their hosts and guests. If they truly care about the surrounding communities and neighborhoods living next to their rentals, they need to step up and enforce safeguards to keep our children safe. Their current approach just isn’t working.”
Airbnb has a long and sordid history of rentals being used for prostitution, drug trafficking and out-of-control parties, which have led to violence and an increasing level of unease in residential neighborhoods. Stop Child Predators encourages neighbors of Airbnb rentals to remain on alert and call authorities if they suspect any form of criminal activity is occurring in a rental unit in their community.
Stacy Rumenap called on Arlington’s city leaders to move forward promptly with final adoption of a proposal they endorsed in mid-February to rein in short-term rentals in the City’s residential areas. “This must be done to protect our precious children from the increasing dangers of illegal hotels operating in our residential neighborhoods today.”
About Stop Child Predators
Stop Child Predators is a national child safety organization that brings together a team of policy experts, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and parents to launch state and federal campaigns to inform lawmakers and the public about policy changes that will protect America’s children from sexual predators. Stop Child Predators has worked to get passed versions of Jessica’s Law in forty-six states and continues to work to enact the legislation in Illinois, New York, Hawaii and Idaho.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
