Crackpot Christian's Crackheads and Criminals Crap on Council

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

I think that was a slightly loaded question. I would rather have neither of them living next door to me. It's all about reducing the risk. We can't do much about the one we don't know about but we can about the so called 'reformed' one. How would you feel about having a 'reformed' peadophile living next door to you? I don't think you would have started the 'How far do you let your kids go?' thread, do you? Just out of interest Gayle are you a member of, in A-B's words, the "bunch of happy-clappy God-botherers"?

I'm not answering for Gayle, but I seem to recall she posted in another thread that she was brought up as a Catholic but isn't paticularly religous now, so no you can't call her happy clappy Neil.

As well as being ex-cons these people are also Christians, albeit born again ones, and like other people have said also quite clever and manipulative.

I shared a house with someone my godfather took pity on who was a heroin user. I'm happy to say he's now clean and marrried and has a son and lives in Spain. It took a lot of time and money for my godfather to get him to this stage. The lowest point for me was when this person sold our other housemates worldly goods whilst he was on his death bed in hospital. This combination of manipulation and the zealousness of the newly saved could be quite a lethal combination.

[lettie]

There is definitely something suspicious about any meeting, the results of which would affect the public, being held in secrecy. Some criminals may be reformed and good for them, it's great..... However there are some who will never reform eg, paedophiles.... The mental health services may argue that paedophilia is a sickness for which there is no definitive cure. In which case, how can they be reformed..

I think that it would be important to know exactly the type of crimes and subsequent reforms this group are dealing with. If they are petty criminals then fair enough, but any kind of sex crime, no way......

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

so no you can't call her happy clappy Neil.

I am not calling anyone anything. I was asking thats all.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by lettie

I think that it would be important to know exactly the type of crimes and subsequent reforms this group are dealing with. If they are petty criminals then fair enough, but any kind of sex crime, no way......

That is pretty much how I feel on the subject lettie. That might be the type of people they are wanting to help. We don't know because we are being kept in the dark. That is why we are assuming the worst. As for sex crimes against children, there should be no need for reform. The offenders should be locked up forever until we bring back the death sentance.

[garinda]

As far as was reported in the press these are petty criminals who funded their drug habits through crime, ableit not very good ones because they got caught.

If these people have now found Jesus and are reformed I wish them well, just well away from here though.

We mustn't forget like I posted earlier, the council gave permission for two large houses to be turned into 'hotels' only a couple of hundredf yards from this church. This place is now basically a doss house for people who in no uncertain terms aren't reformed, either criminally or narcotically.

[Gayle]

Neil, I am frequently happy and have been known to clap after watching a good play but no - I'm not a happy clapper as it's been put. I'm a semi-lapsed Catholic.

I was just pointing out that sometimes it's better to know what you're letting yourself in for and there can be far worse lurking behind closed doors that we're unaware of. An ex-criminal is actually better than a practising criminal.

I wouldn't particularly be happy if an ex-paedophile moved in next door, of course I wouldn't but as I've already said, I wouldn't let my kids play out in the street anyway.

[Neil]

Its the 'ex' bit i dont like. Like others have said in this thread some criminals are very clever and will try anything including 'finding' Jesus. Maybe I am just an untrusting type person when it comes to these matters. Quite out of character for me to be untrusting.

[Gayle]

It's the criminal bit that I don't like - the 'ex' bit is the good bit.

I'm not disagreeing with you by the way, I'm not comfortable with the whole thing either.

[Romps]

Ex/reformed/rehabilitated/integrated/cleansed/ at one with God, what ever the label we give them. I still think we have a right to know whos living on our door step. So we can make choices. After all they are getting a second chance, so as law abiding citizens we should definately get the chance to reduce any risks before we need to use a 'second chance'option. i.e. when it's to late,

[Lampman]

Well I was at the meeting,yes it is a little unsettling that journalist were excluded. As for the councillors, well perhaps a little sour grapes?
The meeting was very Christian orientated(as you can expect being held in a church).
Some of the people conducting the tour of the building were indeed ex offenders.
The reason giving for settlement in this area was that the ex offender would be better away from their old haunts and influences(of all types).
Apparently there is a similar setup in York
where our areas ex offenders can be located.
Several business people are involved in relocating and employing these people.
I attended the meeting with an open mind and left not entirely convinced of the idea.
To give it my personal acid test,I ask would I leave one of these ex offenders on my property unattended?
Sadly though un-Christian the answer is no.

[Neil]

Thanks for that Lampman, nice to see an un-biased opinion from someone who is actually informed of the situation. Did they state what sort of offences these people have committed?

[garinda]

It's hardly a drug/crime free area they are being shipped to. There's a woman who sells drugs from her baby's pram in the main road in Ossy.

Perhaps the Outer Hebrides might be a more suitable place for reintegrating themselves back into society, with less temptation in their way.

[Lampman]

I recall that they found a life of crime to fund substance abuse, these crimes were mainly burglary/theft related.
I should also mention that this re-settlement is only part of the work the church does.
As for the premises, I was impressed.The core members of the church have apparently remortgaged their own houses to fund this building(along with various grants.)
In answer to the unasked question; no I am not a church member,nor particularly religious,but I reckon I can recognise goodness when I see it.
Rightly or wrongly these people are seeking to help those they perceive in need.
As a bi-product the projected savings in stopping the ex offender reoffending were quite amazing,but to reiterate is it right to foist the ex offenders on the people of Hyndburn?
I would like to hear what the Police and local Probation Services have to say on this subject.

[Gayle]

It is quite a fabulous building inside isn't it? I've been in a few times and each time I've been in they've added something since the last time.

Yes, it's cost a lot of money. I'd be interested to know exactly where the bulk of the money came from.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Gayle

I'd be interested to know exactly where the bulk of the money came from.

Pennies from Heaven.