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Sex offenders and victims • 31 What remains to be addressed is the third element of routine activities: the presence of capable guardians. Routine activities theory states that the presence of capable guardians should reduce the likelihood of direct-contact predatory viola- tions. According to the theory, the actions taken by police officers and others to make day cares, schools, and residents of these areas aware of the presence of child sex offenders should increase the number of and/or effectiveness of capable guard- ians. The relationship between the presence of police and their notification of residents and inhabitants of an area was not explored by this research. It can be argued, however, that their actions could have a important impact on the poten- tial level of sex offenses in an area. The police cannot serve as the sole source of capable guardianship in controlling sex offenses, however. They are too few in num- ber, and they cannot always be present when motivated offenders and potential victims converge in time and space. What the police can do, however, is to make as many people in the neighborhood (especially those who are guardians of po- tential victims or may be potential victims themselves) aware of the presence of a potentially motivated offender. This can be done by the very actions that are being taken—registering sex offenders and notifying the community of their pres- ence. If it can be determined that these actions are having the desired effect, then the tripartite relationship central to routine activities theory is supported. *Conclusion The goal of this research was to examine the possibility of a link between where child sex offenders choose to live and potential targets. We believe that we have found this link. Our findings support the argument that there is a definite con- vergence of potentially motivated child sex offenders living in close proximity to concentrations of potential victims. The policy implications of this research directly relate to the resources and efforts of sex offender registration and notification. It is not possible for govern- ments or other entities to control the locations of potential targets (day cares, schools, and parks). Furthermore, despite governmental efforts, there is no evi- dence that attempts to limit where sex offenders live have been successful. Rou- tine activities theory argues that crime increases when there is a convergence of motivated offenders and potential targets in the absence of capable guardians. This research has shown that there appears to be a convergence of offenders and potential targets in the county we studied. Even if the argument that child sex offenders are choosing to live in these areas because of potential targets is re- jected, the fact remains that there is a substantial number of child sex offenders living in close proximity to potential targets.