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Disarmed, nervous public seeks self-defense - but
Josey1
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LOCAL NEWS
LOCAL REGIONAL
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Nervous public seeks self-defense
By Rebecca T. Engel
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Debby Lorentzen of Bellingham doesn't believe she's being overprotective when she cautions her 20-year-old daughter about life's dangers.
"I've told my daughter never to go into a public restroom alone again," she said.
A few days ago, those words might have seem frantic, the worried mindset of an overly protective parent. But since last week's murder of Alexandra Zapp in a rest stop bathroom in Bridgewater, Lorentzen's fears don't seem so unfounded.
Last Thursday, Paul J. Leahy, a convicted sex offender, was charged with stabbing and killing Zapp, 30, of Rhode Island, in a women's restroom at a well-populated rest stop off Rte. 24. The violence and seeming randomness of the crime has people in the Milford area unsettled.
"It's just awful," Lorentzen said. "It's a rest stop kids drive past on their way to the Cape every summer. It could happen to anyone. It makes me feel less safe, for me, and my daughter."
Since the stabbing, Amy Beland, 23, of Uxbridge, said things are just "generally scary."
"I feel pretty safe here," she said. "But still, I've been followed home a couple of times. It's just disgusting that I have to feel this way."
Lauren Iacovelli, 20, from Hopedale, agrees.
"I never really felt safe walking alone at night," she said.
After learning about Zapp's murder, she said she probably wouldn't go alone into a public restroom anymore either. But Iacovelli said she took a self-defense class in college.
"It makes me feel better to know that I know a few moves," she said.
Upton police officer Linda Vass thinks that every woman should take a self-defense class.
"Women should always be on guard. I think what happened on Rte. 24 just reinforced that," Vass said. "No self-defense move is 100 percent foolproof, but at least you can do something. Doing something is always better than doing nothing."
Two years ago, with the help of the Violence Intervention Project of Southern Worcester County, Vass became a certified Rape Aggression and Defense (RAD) instructor. Last year, she co-taught her first class.
"About 22 people attended last year. We had a waiting list out the door," she said.
According to Vass, about 90 percent of the defense class is teaching participants how to avoid potentially dangerous situations: How to walk when approaching your car, for example, or how to protect yourself when you're home alone.
The other 10 percent is classroom instruction in physical skills, culminating in a practice attack by a mock attacker.
When asked if she thought Zapp's going into a restroom alone was a "potentially dangerous," decision, Vass hesitated.
"That's a hard thing to say. Ultimately, any place can be dangerous," Vass said. "Every person has to make their own decisions ... but if you're going to put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, you have to pay more attention to yourself and your surroundings."
But instructors across the board agree that sometimes prevention just isn't enough. Sometimes, an attacker catches a victim by surprise, or traps her, or uses a weapon, all of which occurred in Zapp's case.
Daniel J. Campanale, director of Villari's Martial Arts Center in Franklin, acknowledged the limitations of self-defense.
"When someone catches you by surprise, I don't care if you're Bruce Lee, and if you're a 100-pound woman, let's face it, it's going to be hard to stop a 250-pound guy with a knife," Campanele said.
However, Campanale believes that men, women, and children can learn skills that might allow them to escape from dangerous situations.
"You can't stop someone with that much rage unless you're willing to hurt them," he said. "That involves going for the groin, or for the knees, and really getting close enough to do some damage."
Peter Shean, another instructor at Villari's, agrees with his boss, but also stressed the importance of having the right psychological mindset.
"Self-defense is about teaching self-confidence, focus, good judgment," he said. "Mostly, it's all about awareness."
But for many women in the Milford area, awareness and knowledge of self- defense doesn't always seem like enough. Many women expressed dismay at reports that Zapp's alleged attacker is a convicted sex offender.
"I feel people like that shouldn't be allowed out after a certain time of night," Beland said. "It makes sense, since most of these crimes happen at night."
Other women suggested more extensive background checks before the employment of convicted sex offenders, or more widespread coverage of their crimes in local newspapers.
In fact, Leahy was registered in the Sex Offender Registry Board, a statewide agency that can notify the police about sexual predators. The problem was, while he was registered, Leahy was not yet classified.
Milford police officer Michael J. Pasacane explained that the board now examines every case. In the past, crimes fell into one of three categories and could not be changed.
While Pasacane thinks that the new system is effective at making finer distinctions between, for example, people urinating in public and child rapists, he also acknowledged that it has led to a huge backlog in the system.
"Basically, after someone is registered, I get a letter from the board asking for his history," he said. "It might take me a week to find his records and mail them back. Then the board might take another week to make their decision. Then the offender has the right to appeal, and that can take weeks, or even months."
During the appeal process, Pasacane explained, the offender is classified as a "Level Zero." Local law enforcement officers are not allowed to notify the public about level zero offenders. That now appears to have been what happened with Paul J. Leahy.
"It's a hard thing to do sometimes," Pasacane admitted. "I've got children of my own, so you have to balance those interests with the interests of law enforcement, and people's rights."
According to Pasacane, there are currently only two Level Three sex offenders now living in the Milford area. Police are only required to notify the public about Level Three Offenders, who are deemed "highly likely" to re-offend. Before his appeal, Leahy was a Level Three Offender.
"In 1996, we had 30 or 40 registered sex offenders around here," Pasacane said. "Now we only have two."
The decrease, Pasacane explained, is due to the same backlog in classification.
For many Milford residents, the possibility that convicted sex offenders may continue to commit more crimes, even going so far as to murder, is the most disturbing aspect.
"Personally, I feel like these people should have their crimes on their records for the rest of their lives," Vaas said, echoing a sentiment voiced by several other women. "These are our children we're talking about, and these are predators. I think we need to do everything we can to protect ourselves."
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/local_regional/selfdef07242002.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
LOCAL REGIONAL
-- RELATED HIASYS SITES --
Boston Homes: The Complete Guide
BostonHerald.com Local & Regional News
-- HIASYS TOOLS --
Printer Friendly Version
Email this Article to a Friend
Subscribe to the Milford Daily News
Milford Daily E-News Sign-up for daily local_regional news by e-mail. Start by entering your e-mail address below:
Nervous public seeks self-defense
By Rebecca T. Engel
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Debby Lorentzen of Bellingham doesn't believe she's being overprotective when she cautions her 20-year-old daughter about life's dangers.
"I've told my daughter never to go into a public restroom alone again," she said.
A few days ago, those words might have seem frantic, the worried mindset of an overly protective parent. But since last week's murder of Alexandra Zapp in a rest stop bathroom in Bridgewater, Lorentzen's fears don't seem so unfounded.
Last Thursday, Paul J. Leahy, a convicted sex offender, was charged with stabbing and killing Zapp, 30, of Rhode Island, in a women's restroom at a well-populated rest stop off Rte. 24. The violence and seeming randomness of the crime has people in the Milford area unsettled.
"It's just awful," Lorentzen said. "It's a rest stop kids drive past on their way to the Cape every summer. It could happen to anyone. It makes me feel less safe, for me, and my daughter."
Since the stabbing, Amy Beland, 23, of Uxbridge, said things are just "generally scary."
"I feel pretty safe here," she said. "But still, I've been followed home a couple of times. It's just disgusting that I have to feel this way."
Lauren Iacovelli, 20, from Hopedale, agrees.
"I never really felt safe walking alone at night," she said.
After learning about Zapp's murder, she said she probably wouldn't go alone into a public restroom anymore either. But Iacovelli said she took a self-defense class in college.
"It makes me feel better to know that I know a few moves," she said.
Upton police officer Linda Vass thinks that every woman should take a self-defense class.
"Women should always be on guard. I think what happened on Rte. 24 just reinforced that," Vass said. "No self-defense move is 100 percent foolproof, but at least you can do something. Doing something is always better than doing nothing."
Two years ago, with the help of the Violence Intervention Project of Southern Worcester County, Vass became a certified Rape Aggression and Defense (RAD) instructor. Last year, she co-taught her first class.
"About 22 people attended last year. We had a waiting list out the door," she said.
According to Vass, about 90 percent of the defense class is teaching participants how to avoid potentially dangerous situations: How to walk when approaching your car, for example, or how to protect yourself when you're home alone.
The other 10 percent is classroom instruction in physical skills, culminating in a practice attack by a mock attacker.
When asked if she thought Zapp's going into a restroom alone was a "potentially dangerous," decision, Vass hesitated.
"That's a hard thing to say. Ultimately, any place can be dangerous," Vass said. "Every person has to make their own decisions ... but if you're going to put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, you have to pay more attention to yourself and your surroundings."
But instructors across the board agree that sometimes prevention just isn't enough. Sometimes, an attacker catches a victim by surprise, or traps her, or uses a weapon, all of which occurred in Zapp's case.
Daniel J. Campanale, director of Villari's Martial Arts Center in Franklin, acknowledged the limitations of self-defense.
"When someone catches you by surprise, I don't care if you're Bruce Lee, and if you're a 100-pound woman, let's face it, it's going to be hard to stop a 250-pound guy with a knife," Campanele said.
However, Campanale believes that men, women, and children can learn skills that might allow them to escape from dangerous situations.
"You can't stop someone with that much rage unless you're willing to hurt them," he said. "That involves going for the groin, or for the knees, and really getting close enough to do some damage."
Peter Shean, another instructor at Villari's, agrees with his boss, but also stressed the importance of having the right psychological mindset.
"Self-defense is about teaching self-confidence, focus, good judgment," he said. "Mostly, it's all about awareness."
But for many women in the Milford area, awareness and knowledge of self- defense doesn't always seem like enough. Many women expressed dismay at reports that Zapp's alleged attacker is a convicted sex offender.
"I feel people like that shouldn't be allowed out after a certain time of night," Beland said. "It makes sense, since most of these crimes happen at night."
Other women suggested more extensive background checks before the employment of convicted sex offenders, or more widespread coverage of their crimes in local newspapers.
In fact, Leahy was registered in the Sex Offender Registry Board, a statewide agency that can notify the police about sexual predators. The problem was, while he was registered, Leahy was not yet classified.
Milford police officer Michael J. Pasacane explained that the board now examines every case. In the past, crimes fell into one of three categories and could not be changed.
While Pasacane thinks that the new system is effective at making finer distinctions between, for example, people urinating in public and child rapists, he also acknowledged that it has led to a huge backlog in the system.
"Basically, after someone is registered, I get a letter from the board asking for his history," he said. "It might take me a week to find his records and mail them back. Then the board might take another week to make their decision. Then the offender has the right to appeal, and that can take weeks, or even months."
During the appeal process, Pasacane explained, the offender is classified as a "Level Zero." Local law enforcement officers are not allowed to notify the public about level zero offenders. That now appears to have been what happened with Paul J. Leahy.
"It's a hard thing to do sometimes," Pasacane admitted. "I've got children of my own, so you have to balance those interests with the interests of law enforcement, and people's rights."
According to Pasacane, there are currently only two Level Three sex offenders now living in the Milford area. Police are only required to notify the public about Level Three Offenders, who are deemed "highly likely" to re-offend. Before his appeal, Leahy was a Level Three Offender.
"In 1996, we had 30 or 40 registered sex offenders around here," Pasacane said. "Now we only have two."
The decrease, Pasacane explained, is due to the same backlog in classification.
For many Milford residents, the possibility that convicted sex offenders may continue to commit more crimes, even going so far as to murder, is the most disturbing aspect.
"Personally, I feel like these people should have their crimes on their records for the rest of their lives," Vaas said, echoing a sentiment voiced by several other women. "These are our children we're talking about, and these are predators. I think we need to do everything we can to protect ourselves."
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/local_regional/selfdef07242002.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878