Riverhead Town Officials and Superintendent of Schools Voice Opposition to Sex Offender Trailers

(March 23, 2009 - Riverhead, NY) On Friday, March 20, Dr. Scricca joined Suffolk County Legislator Edward Romaine, Riverhead Town Councilman James Wooten, Councilwoman Barbara Blass, and Riverhead Town Supervisor Phil Cardinale in a press conference concerning the trailers which house 24 homeless level 2 and 3 sex offenders—the most serious levels--on the grounds of the Riverhead County Jail in Flanders.

Mr. Romaine noted, “The original idea was that the trailers would move from town-to- town, but the trailers came to Riverhead and stayed.”

Each speaker voiced their concerns and opposition to such a large concentration of homeless sex offenders in proximity to downtown Riverhead, the library, the schools and parkland.

Dr. Scricca, who had spoken out earlier in the year at a “Sex Offender Trailer Forum” held by concerned citizens at the high school, noted, “I am the superintendent of a particular school district. Our district doesn’t service the students from other school districts. We each take care of the students in our own area. Similarly, I believe that we should only be required to take care of those homeless individuals from our area, rather than be responsible for individuals from the entire county.”

Supervisor Cardinale added, “There is also the costs of servicing these individuals in addition to the dangers they pose to the community. We’ve had 22 ambulance runs to the trailers.”

Riverhead officials have gone to court to force Suffolk County to move the trailers, charging that the housing is illegal because it less than 1,000 feet from a town park. The next stop is the State Supreme Court.

Photo caption: Suffolk County Legislator Edward Romaine, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diane B. Scricca, Riverhead Town Councilman James Wooten, Councilwoman Barbara Blass, and Riverhead Town Supervisor Phil Cardinale during a press conference concerning the sex offender trailers.

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