Fairfield residents concerned after sex offenders move into neighborhood
FAIRFIELD (CBS13) -- In Fairfield, Lincoln Street sits quietly. Kristin Webster was outside watering her plants, but she, along with other neighbors, are nervous about what's happening in the area.
"I feel unsafe," she told CBS13.
On May 31, five sex offenders moved into a house without neighbors' knowledge. One resident was tipped off to the information which set off a firestorm among those living on Lincoln Street
Many in the area have young children and the street, which sits adjacent to two nursery schools, as well as another elementary school. Three of the five men are convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a person under the age of 15.
"I'd like them gone," Webster said. "There was absolutely this feeling of 'what happened?' What we were told is that the city did not know what was going on."
Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy took to Facebook on Sunday to explain the situation, stating that California law means that the city doesn't have a say in these matters either. Lincoln Street residents told CBS13 they feel their elected officials are behind them in this situation. In the meantime, residents have formed a neighborhood watch and are engaging in a letter-writing campaign to state legislators.
"The city doesn't have a lot of legal strength, if you will, to stop these things," Moy said on Facebook. "We're not even told about these things. They just drop in the neighborhood."
Fairfield police released a statement as well, saying: "We will continue doing what we can to protect [the neighborhood] through continual legislative action."
One of the five offenders has already been booked at the Solano County Jail for failing to update their sex offender registry. But most residents of Lincoln Street aren't unsympathetic to what is happening. The general feeling was that this wasn't the best situation for a neighborhood that is known for being a place for children to congregate.
"[We hope to] possibly pass some new legislation that prevents this from happening, not only in our city but across the state of California so that they have better rules and regulations to accommodate those men," said Mark Ward, a longtime Lincoln Street resident. "As they should."