Dear Parent,

The Purchase Community House and the Purchase Children's Center have been made aware of a potential area of concern which we want to pass on to our patrons. You may or may not be aware that there is a men's shelter located at Westchester County Airport. This shelter houses the homeless including convicted criminals. We have been informed that there are several Level III sex offenders who reside at the shelter.
We are very sensitive to this situation and therefore are informing you of the steps taken to raise our level of awareness of the situation. We have notified all of our staff as to the existence of these individuals and reminded them to continue to maintain strict surveillance of all our participants at all times. We have been in contact with the Harrison Police Department and asked for increased patrols in our area with a special emphasis on the after school time frame when children walk to the Community House. We have indicated to the police that we will be more likely to call the police when a stranger is in the area even if the situation seems benign and have instructed our staff to be more inclined to call the police when in doubt.
In addition, as we are stepping up our awareness, I would like to ask our parents to increase their vigilance. We believe the Community House is an unlikely target due to the large population and activity that occurs on our grounds. However, one never knows. With this thought in mind, when you are on the grounds with your children, please maintain active supervision. You should be able to see and hear your child at all times. We encourage you to employ these same rules while at home. Also, please remind your children not to talk to strangers, even if they seem to be polite or need their help. Let them know that there is nothing wrong with running away from someone whom they do not know or calling for help from the police, a neighbor or a friend.
There is a website which offers more information on Level III sex offenders. The web site is http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/index.htm. You must provide your name and address to search the database.
If you have any questions, please approach us directly. We are here to make your children safe and happy and we want you to feel the same.

Sincerely,