Neighbors push to get sex offenders moved from Phoenix-area house
Residents in an East Valley neighborhood were irate after a halfway house for sex offenders was reopened in their community.
(KTAR Photo/Cooper Rummell)
(KTAR Photo/Cooper Rummell)
MESA, Ariz. — Residents in an East Valley neighborhood were irate after a halfway house for sex offenders was reopened in their community.
Homeowners have placed signs in front of their yards that read “sex offenders, felons, pedophiles” pointing out the house near Loop 202 and Power Road.
Neighbors said the owners held an open house last year to declare their intentions of sharing the home with sex offenders. The neighbors quickly began efforts to shut it down.
One woman in the neighborhood even tried to buy the house to stop the plans.
“The home went on the market in late December after we had protested them moving in and (the county) had placed a cease and desist order,” Carla Jetton said.
“I called my realtor and we made an offer and it was accepted.”
The current owners bought the house for about $480,000. Jetton entered into a contract for $512,500 but the deal fell through before escrow closed.
“There are red arrows pointing to their house,” she said. “We just want kids to know to stay away from that neighborhood. …”
There will be a protest in the northeast Mesa community Wednesday night in hopes of forcing the homeowners to close the halfway house.
“We support the children in this community, we support their safety,” Jetton said.
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Comments
19 Comments
This is the most ridiculous load of trash I have ever read. These people are trying to make sure these men are in a healthy place and get back on their feet. The children in the community are already at risk- and not from these men, but from people they already know and trust but are on no registry or public list. I doubt even half of the people in this community know the real statistics about child abuse and s3x offenders reported by their own government.
IF you really support the children of your neighborhood and their safety and aren't just using this as an excuse to exercise your NIMBYISM, first, learn the facts about this issue. Learn by whom your children are at overwhelmingly greater odds of being molested. Hint: it isn't anyone on the registry or anyone who might end up living in that house. Then exercise a little common sense. These are people who are at a point in their lives where they want to reinforce their rehabilitation and want to learn all the skills possible to function as law-abiding citizens. And you want to STOP them?? Or say okay, but not here? There are such programs going on in churches in my neighborhood and have been for years. There have been zero problems with any of the residents. I wish that all neighbors were as courteous and circumspect as they.
Let's see , what to do with them ? I know if I had gasoline I wouldnt throw it away , I also know I wouldn't store it next to the gas water heater. Experts agree phedophiles are almost never cured of their urges and are the most serious of offenders. Stupid question I know. Oh yeah , answer : put them in a place where they are least likely to cause harm , not in a suburban neighborhood.