Desert Local News - Index

Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print at Home Edition 11 March 26 - Index

4 local news
DHS The Parolee Committee welcomed Tom Hoffman
DHS: There is no way for police
or corrections officers to remove
felons from Desert Hot Springs or
prevent their choice to live here.
The frustration was audible as the
standing room only crowd wanted
more from The Parolee Committee
welcomed, Director of California
State Division of Adult Parole Operations
(DAPO) who was speaking
in Desert Hot Springs at a meeting
Monday evening.
Hoffman was backed by a
team of high-ranking officials from
California. The Parolee Committee
welcomed representatives of local,
regional and state DAPO who
joined Hoffman as he promised aide
to Desert Hot Springs. The city is
under siege by residents demanding
more of the police department than
it has officers to hand to do.
“Frankly, we don’t have the officers
we need,” said Patrick Wil-
liams, Police Chief. “Other valley
cities recognize the need to be our
partners. Crime here affects the
whole valley. We’re not isolated
anymore. That’s why we recently
got help for traffic enforcement
from police departments in Indio,
Palm Desert, and Highway Patrol”
With many residents feeling
helpless, Hoffman, a long-time law
enforcement officer, sounded optimistic
and realistic about his ability
to provide state aide. “I know you
need help and I’m going to make
sure you get it.”
“Desert Hot Springs is a very
compassionate community,” said
committee member Russ Martin,
Public Safety Commissioner. “We
have several substance abuse facilities
and businesses giving people a
second start. This community has
a heart,” Martin said, “but we’ve
reached a saturation point. We need
Three Story Senior Apartment Complex
Coming To Desert Hot Springs
By Leslie Andrews
DHS: During public hearings,
the City Council of Desert
Hot Springs voted 4 to 1
on Tuesday to approve a new
senior apartment complex, to
be built in the south side of
town.
The Marbella Villa
Apartments, a 398-unit senior
apartment complex,
will be located at 15th Street
and Palm Drive. 15% of the
units will be allocated for
low-income residents and
at least one resident per unit
must be aged 55 or older. Steven
Carlin, a representative
of the developer, has goals to
make this an affordable housing
complex. “We have to be
on the high side of the market
in order to meet the debt
ratio,” said Carlin. “The baby
boomers are retiring and the
need for affordable housing
will increase.” Rents could be
as low as $200 per month (if
the tenant is on fixed income)
and could range as high as
$1375 per month.
Council and the developers
did exchange some arguments
for at least 45 minutes
during this council meeting,
discussing the pros and cons
of this project, which the
Desert Hot Springs Planning
Commission approved of
unanimously. Former Planning
Commissioner and current
City Councilman Al
Schmidt disliked the fact that
one of the buildings was three
stories tall. “I have a problem
with three stories with living
spaces, therefore I will not
vote on it,” he said.
Councilman Russell Betts
didn’t mind, saying “Three
stories is fine with me.” He
suggested that council go
forth with this project, while
City Attorney Ruben Duran
and Mayor Yvonne Parks
suggested tabling the issue
until the first meeting in May,
thus giving the developer to
work with Rudy Acosta, the
city’s public works director.
One public comment card
was submitted, and “Claire”,
a resident of a nearby trailer
park, voiced her concerns
about two issues. “My concern
is, why do we need three
stories?” she asked. “Also, if
you rent to someone who is
over 55 but married to somebody
younger, you would
allow children. This would
make it a family park, not a
senior park.”
However, council approved
this project 4 to 1,
with Councilman Al Schmidt
voting no.
The proposed building
will feature a park, a putting
green, a gazebo and barbecue
pits. Only the middle building
will be three stories, the
surrounding buildings will
only have two stories.
a red flag to say no more.”
“If there was some way, any way
that I could remove parolees from
your city or restrict their coming
here I’d do it,” Hoffman said, “ But
I can’t. So we have to look at other
things.” The headman of DAPO offered
a menu of solutions to Desert
Hot Springs.
“Throwing them back in jail is
no going to solve the problem. Our
correctional institutions are over
crowded and are under federal court
order to early release,” said Hoffman.
“They’re in. They’re out. So
that doesn’t work.”
Hoffman suggested a blueprint
to stop the cycle of criminal behavior.
“Counseling and jobs by ‘proven’
service providers is the key.” he
asserts. Hoffman promised funds to
Desert Hot Springs for counseling
and other programs proven to turn
lives around.
Citizens feel parolees have become
crucial to the city’s high crime
rate although there are no statistics
to prove that. While the sheer weight
in numbers of parolees is disproportionate
to other valley communities
it is not the vulnerability of the city
that brings them here. Most everyone
agrees it that parolees are most
attracted to the availability of low
cost housing and absentee landlords.
More than 400 parolees live in
Desert Hot Springs and its surrounding
areas out of the 854 parolees
living in the Coachella Valley,
officials say. Most worrisome are
the 37 parolees who have fallen thru
the cracks and whose whereabouts
are now unknown.
“I understand you want to wish
these people to go away. That’s
simply not going to happen,” said
Hoffman. “There are 127,000 of
them in our state and they come out
at 10,000 a month. They have to be
returned to the county of their conviction.
If that is Riverside then they
can go anywhere in the county and
it might be here, might not.”
“We need established service
providers with successful programs
available in Desert Hot Springs to
break the cycle of crime because
locking them up isn’t going that.”
The 100 plus audience applauded
Justin Mohler, a brave
former parolee who credits the city
as key to his rehabilitation success.
“I’ve been to prison three times and
couldn’t have achieved what I am
now… a productive member of society.”
said Mohler. “I’m a member
of a program. [counseling] I’ve got
a job, a car, and a place to live and
I’m staying out of trouble.”
DILLON ROADHOUSE
NEW HOURS 7 AM - UNTIL CLOSING
SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH
AND DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK
EARLY BIRD SP SPECIAL CIAL
R P PPERSON
R ON
+ TAX, GRATUITY
4 PM TO 6 PM EVERYDAY
RYDAY
EXPIR
EXPIRES ES APRIL 2, 2008
64-647 DILLON RD., NORTH PALM SPRINGS
BETWEEN INDIAN AVE. & PALM DRIVE
PHONE 760-251-1991