Scranton ordinance on where registered sex offenders can live remains contrary to court decision
Their residence, about 940 feet from a school, is contrary to an unenforced Scranton ordinance that remains part of the city code more than a decade after a state Supreme Court decision invalidated the premise of a similar local law near Pittsburgh — forbidding sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of schools, among other places children congregate. Asked about the zombie ordinance, city officials said they are looking into whether to rescind or amend the language.
“As written, it won’t stand,” first assistant city solicitor Andrew Cutillo said.
In May 2016, the city code enforcement office, formerly known as the Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits, wrote a letter to Bonacuse that 605-607 Harrison Ave. and 647 Monroe Ave. were operating as illegal rooming homes. The department requested he apply for approval.
It’s unclear if he did. Agendas for zoning hearing board meetings scheduled in the weeks after that letter do not reflect if the issue came up. The properties are not on a list of approved rooming homes which the city provided to the newspaper in a Right to Know Law request.
Bonacuse acknowledged he “was accused of running an illegal rooming house” but said the city’s investigation found him in compliance.
Bonacuse said he provides a service to the community and to the local state parole office, with whom he cooperates. Parolees and sex offenders are “centrally located” rather than spread through the community and are easily accessible by their parole officers, he said. He also said his properties are in compliance with guidelines regarding sex offenders.
“There are not a lot of landlords who will rent to sex offenders, but they are still in need of a place to live,” Bonacuse said.
Did anyone else ever notice that nowhere in these stories do they ever state the number of new sex crimes committed by the registrants they attempt to raise panic about? I sent an email to this story’s author asking that. Not holding my breath for a response.
The site didn’t post my comment. Edited and resubmitted. If they don’t post again, it’s an indication of how some media won’t post opposing viewpoints (contrary to their self-assessed neutrality).
Looks like they posted your comment.
Although it is not a perfect solution, I have taken the course that since I am a registrant (still on probation), that “they” cannot say anything to me if I happen to rent out to other registrants. Which I do. I have shared that several times on this website.
I try to keep the rents below market, but still cover my costs, because I know how tight it can be financially for those on registration. Further, I have been in business long enough that probation contacts ME to see if I have any openings.
I never do. The list out there is long, so I never have any trouble with filling bedrooms. And probation likes it because they can check on five of us all at once.
Not saying all this to brag. Just more than one way to skin the cat.
I can’t tell if this is good or bad information. I mean, the registry is bad. There are people living in this place, so that’s kind of good because at least they have a home. They wouldn’t be there if there were no registry. So I suppose it’s a net good for now?
It just sort of hit me, from all the articles I have read over the years, we get talked about more like a pariah than we do human beings whenever we as a group come up in these discussions. “Those sex offenders”, The sex offender” not “Those men living in that building”. We are delegated to a 3rd person narrative, like a dog, well maybe not, because people love dogs.
So sad we will forever be labeled, not as who we are but what we may have done in our past. We have spoken on this before but calling us sex offenders does make the public feel as that is what we are constantly doing. We are not John, Tom, Alan, Reggie, or Mister Harrison but “that registered sex offender”. I mean I do not want to be titled with my past but even ex-offender would be more respectful. Just drop the “S” from Sex-offender.
I would be homeless if not for situations like this where reasonably thinking home owners thought with their bank accounts rather than their perceived social status amongst scare mongers led around on leashes guided by politicians and media.
https://news.yahoo.com/visit-high-school-leads-felony-135845699.html
Here in Brevard county there is or was a former FDOC probation officer that owns rental homes and leases to offenders, regardless of their offense. I do have to say that I don’t know if he’s still in the rental business. He either has or had a waiting list a mile long.
I was actually referred to him when I came home from prison in 2013.
Just goes to show that no matter what their motivation, there’s smart business folks out there.
I’ve talked with several investors here about setting up a rental program for folks in our position and there is actually some interest. Unfortunately the housing market here in Brevard just makes it economically not feasible.
Having travelled around the country I have come to the conclusion that there is so much confusion about the ‘management’ of registered citizens, most actions are based on personal opinion and not on laws which are far too confusing. Once I went to check in at the police station in Virginia Beach. I walked up to the desk and announced the reason I was there. The lady behind the desk looked up and said, “What do you want me to do?” I had to give her instructions. Eventually she initialed my travel permit, and I went on my way. We have too many real crimes to waste time on ‘made-up’ crimes. If the truth were known, every US citizen would be a ‘registered citizen.
Comments open on site. One posted, ‘a noticeably absent statistic is the number of sex crimes committed by these registrants since moving there. I’m guessing that is because it would diminish the story’s effort to incite alarm (if not panic).’