PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police say someone threw a piece of concrete through the window of a registered sex offender’s home in Providence, Rhode Island.
The vandalism occurred at the home of XXX at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. XXXX was convicted of multiple child rapes in the 1980s and 1990s in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Residents protested XXXX for weeks after he moved into the neighborhood last year following his release from prison.
Police Maj. David Lapatin says the protests have stopped, and a one-person detail at XXXX’s house ended Friday.
One major point about this story that apparently was overlooked is that the guy in this story wasn’t required to register; his offense predated the registry and RI (unlike most other places) didn’t make registration retroactive. Yet, even without the registry, his status as a prior offender still became public knowledge.
Even without the registry, he was still subjected to and jailed on a a trumped up charge (incorrect address on a marriage licence) to show how dangerous he supposedly is.
Even without the registry, he was still subject to undue police harassment (24 hour detail at his house specifically to observe him, versus those that vocally and frequently threatened him).
Even without the registry, he is still scorned and abused by his neighbors, shown in this story, where the investigation into who threw the block through his window was closed before the label marking the file finished printing.
And yet, the registry is a “valuable and necessary public safety tool” and not punishment in any way, because the legislatures that wrote them and continue to create more crimes based on them never intended them to be punitive. Kind of like how the Rams won the Super Bowl this year because they never intended to lose.
And yet, the source article states: “Police say someone threw a piece of concrete through the window of a registered sex offender’s home.” WTF?
The cited source article https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2019/02/20/police-concrete-thrown-at-rhode-island-sex-offenders-home says nothing about why the police detail was there or who the protesters were. I assumed they were there to prevent Mr. Gardner from being harmed by the protesters. Do you have another source of information? If so, please share.
So the concrete (block) went through his window, Saturday, one day after police protection ended on Friday. Wow, what a coincidence!
I doubt there will be any further investigation of the incident, except that police protection will be determined to be too expensive to reinstate.
They weren’t there for his protection. The police chief was very clear when he posted that detail that they were there to observe him, not the protesters (which included the mayor and a city councilman).
I would have my house full of cameras if there was a protest at the start.you have to think if they protested they will certainly try and hurt this person. get it on tape and hopefully that lets the rest of the nuts know if they do anything they will be caught on tape doing it
Careful about installing cameras. Advised by a lawyer they could say it is being used to observe children.
Who can say that?
You have the right to install cameras. Cameras can be very helpful in proving you DIDN’T do something accused of.
Better safe than sorry.