ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) - Alpine parents fighting to keep sexually violent predators our of their neighborhood are more frustrated after hearing the State Department of Hospitals can't help them.
10News first brought you this story in March. On Dec. 14, neighbors say a neighbor approached someone walking around a vacant property next door and found out she was an investigator for the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force (SAFE).
"[They were] looking at the property as a possible placement for sexual predators," Father Keith Martin said holding his three-month-old baby girl. In December, they wrote a pile of letters to anyone they could reach, successfully keeping a convicted sexual predator out of their neighborhood.
Now they want to ensure the home is removed from the list for good. The problem is the State Department of Hospitals says the homeowner is the one who agrees to rent to the predators.
Neighbors want to find a workaround, "I think that's kinda silly, if they can put an address on a list they can take it off, I don't know what the big problem is," Grandfather of nine James Greaney said.
County Supervisor Dianne Jacob sent 10News this statement:
It's deeply disturbing to hear that Alpine is also being targeted as a potential home for sexually violent predators, especially when there is already an overconcentration of these monsters in rural East County. I plan to write a letter to state hospital officials asking them to remove Alpine Oaks from their list of possible addresses and to request the disclosure of all addresses in the region that could be under consideration
Jacob said, in an email sent in March, she also contacted the Attorney General and is waiting to hear back.
"I don't know what it's going to take to get this off the list I just don't know but hopefully by doing this newscast maybe something else can be done," Greaney said.
The San Diego District Attorney's website says, "The Department of State Hospitals reviews all possible housing locations within the county and recommends a specific placement to the court." The department states, "Staff examines existing searches for properties that were previously identified. Such information is used only as a starting point. Staff uses many resources to find potential properties for rent including review of newspaper and Craigslist advertisements; visiting local real estate offices and even, driving through neighborhoods in search of "For Rent" signs."
10News also reached out to Governor Gavin Newsom's office but haven't heard back.
