Harsh words hurled at nonprofit in fight over housing sex offenders

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County is present 1 measurement person to restricting the fig of enactment offenders who tin unrecorded successful 1 home.

The Board of Supervisors announced the measurement connected Monday and unanimously approved it during the archetypal of 2 hearings today.

Before the vote, Old Fig Garden residents complained during nationalist remark specifically astir a section nonprofit, the Centers for Living, that houses registered enactment offenders.

The nonprofit's CEO, John Coyle, argued that they are making the assemblage safer.

But 1 supervisor made it wide helium disagrees, lashing retired with profanity.

"I deliberation it's precise important that, erstwhile radical sling (expletive) to telephone (expletive). And I think, Mr. Coyle, you sling a batch of (expletive)," said District 2 Supervisor Garry Bredefeld successful beforehand of a packed gathering country connected Tuesday.

Coyle was astatine the Board of Supervisors gathering to inquire officials to reconsider a measurement that would restrict the fig of enactment offenders surviving successful 1 location to six.

"Stable and supervised lodging reduces hazard -- homelessness increases it. This ordinance causes homelessness and eliminates the accountability that we provide," Coyle argued during nationalist comment.

Centers for Living operates aggregate homes successful Fresno County to reintroduce the stateless assemblage into society.

Coyle's wife, who is the Cofounder of the nonprofit, said of the 1,200 radical they've served successful Fresno County, 260 of them were registered enactment offenders.

Of those 260 individuals, she said 1 turned retired to beryllium a reoffender. In that case, she said authorities were notified and the lawsuit was handled appropriately.

She went connected to support the Centers for Living properties facing scrutiny successful Old Fig Garden, saying she and her hubby are acrophobic astir what she called "uneven enforcement and heightened parole activity" successful that vicinity compared to the different properties wrong the operation.

"My hubby and I really personally unrecorded connected the spot supra the store connected 1 of the Gettysburg properties. This is not a distant oversight. This is simply a daily, hands-on work successful the aforesaid neighborhoods wherever we live," Dawn Coyle said.

She added that astatine slightest 2 managers are connected tract 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

But their neighbors accidental it's not astir enough.

"I've witnessed their 'supervision' of these guys walking done the neighborhood, cat-calling astatine assorted women. I've personally seen that," Old Fig Garden nonmigratory Peter Kapetan said during nationalist comment.

Still, the Coyles argued that providing stableness to everyone they service helps bounds the hazard of re-offences. They besides denied the county's claims that they've regularly had much than six enactment offenders surviving connected their properties astatine 1 time.

But Bredefeld didn't bargain it.

"Law enforcement officers person travel successful there, and determination person been galore times much than six. So that's a clump of crap. And what you sling is simply a clump of crap. As for housing, and these mediocre stateless pedophiles and enactment offenders, I person a solution for the stateless situation for them. They beryllium successful prison. There's a location for them there. They beryllium successful jail," the supervisor said.

John Coyle pushed backmost against Bredefeld's comments, saying he's witnessed betterment firsthand.

"We did not origin this issue. Nor did our residents. Yet, immoderate of the authors of this ordinance are responding to the opinions of a tiny fig of emotionally charged neighbors alternatively of facts," said Coyle to the committee of supervisors during nationalist comment.

Tuesday's proceeding was the archetypal of 2 scheduled connected the projected ordinance. The 2nd proceeding is expected to hap connected January 6. If the committee passes the measurement that day, it volition spell into effect 30 days later.

"If this ordinance passes, we volition beryllium forced to acquisition six homes to location our existent 34 registered offenders that we presently attraction for. The alternate would beryllium for them to spell homeless. Which is disingenuous arsenic acold arsenic their projected interest for keeping the assemblage harmless and accountable," John Coyle told Action News successful portion successful a substance speech aft Tuesday's meeting.

"But I volition archer you that these efforts volition not halt america from serving the disadvantaged and displaced radical successful Fresno County," helium added.

Officials with the City of Fresno besides expressed connected Tuesday that they look guardant to partnering with the region connected its efforts.

"Council President (Mike) Karbassi and my bureau are considering akin legislation. What we don't privation to spot hap is for these operators to determination from the County into City neighborhoods," Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz told Action News Tuesday.

Kerry Mannix is simply a wide duty newsman for ABC30 Action News. For quality updates, travel her connected Instagram.