State Bill Would Prevent Surprise Sexually Violent Predator Placement

The San Diego Convention Center on July 7, 2016. John Fredircks/The Epoch Times

SAN DIEGO—Two local state senators have co-authored a bipartisan bill introduced on Jan. 11 that would prevent the state from placing sexually violent predators in unsuspecting communities.

Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee) and Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), along with Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, wrote the Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement (SAFE) Act following high-profile incidents of California’s state hospitals attempting to place sexually violent predators in East and North San Diego County.

“The recent cases of Douglas Badger and Merle Wakefield fit an ongoing pattern of deceit and deception by the Department of State Hospitals,” Jones said. “Families throughout Mt. Helix, Ranchita, Borrego Springs and Rancho Bernardo were jolted by the state’s attempt to put [a sexually violent predator] in their neighborhoods.

“Thankfully in these cases, judges have intervened and prevented the forced and dangerous placements of [sexually violent predators] into inappropriate neighborhoods,'' he said.

If passed, Senate Bill 841 would be able to restrain the placement of sexually violent predators through following ways:

• Place a hard limit on the placement of sexually violent predators within a county to no more 40 percent of the total placement for that county in any one supervisorial district;
• Mandate that the director of the Department of State Hospitals publicly report annually how many sexually violent predators are in each county, and in which supervisorial district;
• Make public safety the highest criteria of any potential placement of a sexually violent predator;
• Require the Department of State Hospitals to take ownership in the process by approving any placements before the vendor can sign any leases for placement locations; and
• Require the Department of State Hospitals, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to report to the governor and state Legislature any inventory of facilities that could house sexually violent predators.

“For too long the state has been sneaking around trying to release or parole dangerous sexually violent predators and rapists in residential neighborhoods,” Jones said. “State Hospital officials have often tried to duck their responsibility by giving their vendors, such as Liberty Health Care, too much freedom in targeting regions such as East and North County.

“Unfortunately, this problem is not unique to San Diego,” he said. “The SAFE Act will require transparency in the [sexually violent predator] placement process, force state officials to own up to their decisions, and make public safety the highest priority.”