Well, you can bitch and moan all you like, but it's a fact that ex-offenders will be coming out of prison, and they have just as much a right to live where they want as these other folks do.
09/08/2011
By Bill Kelle
Neighbors grapple with safety, second chances
BLOOMINGTON - Residents in one Bloomington neighborhood say they are upset about a home that is being rented to several high-level sex offenders, but the owner says he is just trying to help in a struggle that pits safety against second chances.
At any given time, Bloomington has more than 100 registered sex offenders living within its borders. Most blend into the background, but after the second Level 3 sex offender moved into one home, neighbors said enough is enough.
"We're a little more security-conscious than we used to be," said Jan Andreen. "I'll speak for the whole cul de sac and probably for part of the neighborhood. No one is really happy."
Yet, neighbors say it's not just safety they're concerned about. They're also worried it may affect their property values.
"I want to tell him to get out of here," said one concerned resident.
According to neighbors, the owner of the home is profiting by renting exclusively to sex offenders and ex-convict -- and local police say he's not breaking the law.
"We can make people aware of who is living in their community, and being aware is the best step toward people being safe," said Cmdr. Mark Stehlik, of the Bloomington Police Department.
- I disagree, but if we are going to do this for ex-sex offenders, why not for all other criminals as well?
The owner of the home, David Nutt, says what he is doing comes from a "higher calling," and said everyone deserves a second chance.
"I think David's vision was to help guys out that were struggling when they get out," said [name withheld].
[name withheld], who now goes by [name withheld], is the home's newest resident.
"The minute they hear, 'Level 3,' flags go up in their heads, which is understandable -- but not everybody has those same fears and I think [Nutt is] one of those guys who gets it," he said.
[name withheld] was released in July after serving 20 years in prison for abducting and raping three women at gunpoint. Today, however, he says he is a different person.
"I understand the community's concerns. They got a guy who did a lot of time in prison for some horrible crimes and he's getting out and living in their neighborhood -- and this is a really nice neighborhood," [name withheld] said.
In fact, that's why [name withheld] chose it. As a recovering addict, he said he didn't want to live in the city where he might be tempted by drugs.
"I'm not asking anybody in the community to believe me or trust me, all I ask for is the opportunity," he said. "Watch me. Keep an eye on me. If people watch where I go and what I do, they'll see that these days, I'm about rebuilding my life and doing right."
Currently, only two of the four renters at the home are sex offenders and the other Level 3 offender who lives in the home has since been downgraded.
[name withheld] said he was not allowed to attend Thursday evening's notification meeting, but said he welcomes the opportunity to meet with anyone who has questions about his past.
