
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jonathan Keith
Telephone: 401.484.1772
Email: jonathan@jonkeithsenateri.com
Gallo likes sex offenders in her District?
Cranston, RI | June 9th, 2017 – Our community is the most important thing to us in Rhode Island and above all is the safety of our children. This is the number one thing that all State Legislators should protect at any cost. In Cranston we have over 180 registered sex offenders throughout our city, and as the number is alarming enough the most unfathomable part is that 43 of them are registered at one address. Many of us know it as Harrington Hall, 30 Howard Ave Cranston, RI 02920, the homeless shelter of “last resort.” It is a male only shelter that serves men that otherwise would have absolutely no other place to go. As compassionate as we all are in Rhode Island, and especially in Cranston, this homeless shelter has a darker side that never seems to be fully addressed.There is an overwhelming population of sex offenders that occupy this facility on a nightly basis. Occupants are to leave this facility at 7:00am and are within a 20-45 minute walk from 3 elementary schools. They are not allowed to return to Harrington Hall until 5:00pm putting 43 sex offenders on the streets of Cranston at the exact times that our children are walking to and from school, or participating in after school activities. Since 2012 many individuals and elected officials have tried to their best to keep the number of registered sex offenders to a minimum. The individuals that have been involved include Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Representative Robert Lancia, Mayor Allan Fung, Ward 6 Councilman Michael Favicchio, Alliance for Safe Communities Executive Director Carolyn Medeiros, and The Cranston Crime Watch Co-Organizer Suzanne Arena. Jonathan Keith, former candidate for State Senate - District 27, would like to thank them all personally for trying their hardest to make Cranston the safest community for children possible.
With all of these listed members of our society working together and on an issue that directly affects our daily lives there is still one elected official that is missing. “Why does Senator Hanna Gallo not feel that this issue is a top priority?” Jonathan would like to know. “As a member of the Senate Leadership Hanna should have no issue pushing the legislation (S0897), capping the number of sex offenders, to the Senate floor for a vote.” Last month with the full support of the City of Cranston, Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Representative Robert Lancia the house version H5159 was successfully passed. Since then Hanna has dropped the proverbial ball in the Senate. The Senate version has been sitting in Senate Judiciary since May 11th, 2017 waiting for a hearing date to be scheduled.
Gallo’s ineffectiveness to get this legislation through the Senate before the budget season is in full swing is nothing out of the ordinary. Senator Gallo has been absent from this issue since the beginning and it seems clear that she does not see our communities safety as a top priority. Also let’s not forget that summer is just around the corner and our children will be out of school making this legislation even more crucial. Jonathan Keith is urging Senator Gallo to make S0897 a top priority and have it voted on before this year's Budget is released.
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