Tehachapi News

Grimes, Kermode testify at Sex Offenders Management Board meeting

The Sex Offenders Management Board meet on Jan. 8 at the Bakersfield City Hall to discuss problems related to Kern County communities and to determine how to improve on current policies and practices.

The meeting was attended by City Councilman Ed Grimes and Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode.

Ed brings to the table 35 years with the Department of Corrections including seven years as a probation agent. While he was employed with the Department of Corrections he became used to dealing with sex offenders while they were in prison and the problem of where to put them when they were released. As an elected public official he has had to deal with the issue from a “not in my backyard” point of view.

Grimes pointed out that in Tehachapi there are “Twenty-one sex registered offenders — five living within one half mile of a school. I don’t like the idea of a predator being able to live where children are around.”

“We need to have the resources and tools to work with. Sex offenders only wear GPS tracking devices while on parole or probation. We should know forever where this person is because of the nature of the crime. I’ve never seen a rehabilitated sex offender”

Grimes continued, “We need to start a campaign to educate the public. As soon as someone hears ‘sex offender,’ fear sets in, we need to let them know what it is and that there are degrees of assault.”

TPD’s Chief Kermode also spoke to the group about small town issues.

“On the positive side we are small enough that in most neighborhoods the neighbors know who they are and can keep an eye on them,” said Kermode. “On the negative side we don’t have the staff to track them. There are no funds once the offenders are off probation or parole to provide for additional tracking of them at the local level.”

The chief added, “Jessica’s Law created a lot of public expectations, but has a lot of loop holes in it making it difficult to enforce and there are several court cases at both the state and federal level pending concerning it.”