One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Harbor Gateway Builds Park With Sole Intention of Kicking Out Sex Offenders
Photo of park via Shutterstock
The laws around where sex offenders can and cannot live are extremely stringent. They may not, for instance, live by parks or by schools, lest they come into contact with potential victims.
And while the laws were likely set up with existing parks and schools in mind, one Los Angeles community is twisting the regulation around by building a new park with the sole intention of kicking sex offenders out of the neighborhood.
The LA Times reports that the people of Harbor Gateway have already broken ground on a new park -- so small, they say, that it barely has room for both a jungle gym and benches -- in order to relocate the 33 sex offenders that live nearby:
By building the park, officials said, they would effectively force the sex offenders to leave the neighborhood.
The article doesn't quote any actual sex offenders, but there are others who aren't thrilled with this new development.
"People are running around with hysteria when they don't know the facts," said Janice Bellucci, president of California Reform Sex Offender Laws, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of those convicted of sex crimes. "I understand that sex offenders are not a popular part of society, but they have constitutional rights."
The city is considering building at least two other parks in nearby communities as well.
Sponsored message
According to the website city-data.com, there are currently 3,276 sex offenders living in the city of Los Angeles.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
