by Mikel Holt 03/16/05

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Prior to being elected a Milwaukee county supervisor, Toni Clark worked as a teacher for five years.

Not surprisingly, Clark stressed to her students the importance of good grammar, particularly spelling.

It’s a lesson she now wants to impart on state officials, particularly those charged with the placement of convicted sexual offenders who are now seeking to "reintegrate" back into society after serving their prison sentences. State policy has been to "return" the felons to areas of the state where they lived prior to incarceration.

Apparently, many of those bureaucrats have a hard time spelling Milwaukee County, because in the past they consistently spelled it, "c-e-n-t-r-a-l c-i-t-y."

"If you look at where they have placed a majority of sexual predators in the past, you have to assume they (state officials) think Milwaukee County is spelled ‘central city,’" Clark said sarcastically, "because that’s where they have historically put most of them. But enough is enough. It’s not fair, and we are letting them know in no uncertain terms that we’re tired of business as usual."

Clark is one of three Black members of the state’s Sexually Violent Persons Transitional Housing committee. The committee consists of representatives from every level of government and is entrusted with recommending sites for transitional housing for sexual predators who have undergone counseling following completion of their incarceration.

The committee has been meeting for four months and will propose a final list of three prospective sites for a group home for up to 12 felons to the state Department of Health and Family Services and Department of Corrections next month. A public hearing on the committee’s proposal will be held on March 22nd.

Clark said she was surprised, but not shocked to learn through her membership on the committee that a majority of sexual predators previously housed in "Milwaukee county" have been placed in the central city.

As of last month, the committee narrowed down its current list to five sites, two of which are in the central city.

Those proposed sites include land at South Howard, 118th block of Silver Springs, West Countyline Road (one block south of the Mequon border), and two in the central city—one on North Holton Street and another on West Mill Road. The South Howard and Countyline Road sites are on land owned by Milwaukee County.

In addition to organized opposition from residents of those two sites, County Executive Scott Walker recently issued a statement declaring that those properties are not for sale, all but killing the proposal.

Also, it was learned Monday that Alderman Michael McGee, Jr., has successfully lobbied the owner of the property on Holton Street, resulting in that company withdrawing its offer to sell its property.

McGee released a statement revealing that the Charles P. Bucolt Real Estate Company, which owns the land at 4198 N. Horton, has withdrawn its offer to sell the property.

According to Clark, Black lawmakers at the state, county and city level have been working feverishly to have the Mill Road site rejected as well.

"For good reason," Clark said in an interview Tuesday.

"We’re tired of our neighborhood being the dumping ground for sexual predators.

"There’s a group home within a few blocks of the Mill Road site, and this is also the area where a (high profile sexual pedophile) was housed last year. Enough is enough."

Clark said she expected the other Black members of the committee to join her in expressing their opposition to the Mill Road site at the March 22 hearing. She is also expecting letters or presentations from politicians representing that area to be offered as well.

"I was screaming bloody murder when they first introduced these (central city) sites (to the committee), and I will continue to do so," Clark declared.

"When you look at a computer printout of where (a majority of) sexual predators have been housed in the last few years, and overlap it with day care facilities, you can’t help but be shocked. It’s obvious that the central city has been the dumping ground for sexual predators."

"This isn’t a matter of our saying anywhere but our neighborhood; this is a matter of fairness.

"I’m not saying put all of them in the suburbs, but fair dictates that you can’t keep putting them down here. We have enough problems already."

The committee is expected to make its recommendation in April, and there is the real possibility that if no site is deemed suitable, state officials will be forced to release the sexual offenders to undisclosed locations without notifying residents, although local police are generally informed.

"That’s not acceptable either," Clark said. "Because residents have a right to know (where sexual predators) are being located.

"Hopefully, some middle ground can be found. But that solution should be equitable and fair."

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