Christian Senator, Brian Jones, with Senator

Senator Brian Jones. (https://jones.cssrc.us/biography)

On January 11, 2022, two lawmakers, Senator Brian Jones, Senator Ben Hueso, and Assemblyman Jim Cooper, introduced the SAFE Act or “Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act.” In September of last year, it was announced that state hospital officials had proposed the placement of Douglas Badger in a supervised home at Rancho Bernardo.

Senate Bill 841, Bipartisan Bill

Senator Brian Jones, R- Santee, and Senator Ben Hueso, D – San Diego, co-authored Senate Bill 841. On Tuesday, the senators, together with Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D- Elk Grove, announced the creation of this bill, which would hinder the state from placing sexually violent predators in East and North San Diego County.

According to KPBS, if Senate Bill 841 passed to law, it would:

Provide a hard limit on the placement of SVPS within a county to no more than 40% in any supervisorial district
Order the Department of State Hospitals director to make information public through an annual report regarding the number of SVPs in each county and in which supervisorial district.
Make public safety the top consideration for any potential placement of an SVP
Mandate the Department of State Hospitals to take ownership in the process. This will be done by approving placements before the vendor can sign any leases for the placement area.
Require several concerning agencies such as the DHS, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Department to report to the governor and state legislature any inventory of facilities that could accommodate SVPs.

As reported on KPBS, Senator Brian Jones stated the cases of Douglas Badger and Merle Wakefield showed a current pattern of deception and deceit created by the Department of State Hospitals.

According to the senator, families in Mt. Helix, Borrego Springs, Ranchita, and Rancho Bernardo were alarmed with the state’s plan to put a sexually violent predator near their residences.

Senator Brian Jones was recently on the news concerning the closure of Foothills Christian Preschool. The senator with other local leaders opposed shutting down the preschool.

According to the senator’s LinkedIn profile, he was a former Ministry Leader at Sonrise Community Church.

Community’s Reaction

Rancho Bernardo homeowners were alarmed and opposed the placement of sexually violent predators in their neighborhood. Douglas Badger was a convicted pedophile.

Residents expressed their concern about his placement in a million-dollar house in the area. According to reports, the neighbors stated that it is not a place for an SVP. Kids and families live near the house where the state plans to place Badger.

Additionally, the location is within five miles of the school district. The report also shared the state puts a quarter-mile restriction for such persons. However, children can be seen going home from school.

Former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio, a resident of Rancho Bernardo, arranged a town hall meeting on September 26 in the Country Club of RB. The report shared that DeMaio recently helped the opposition to the placement of Badger in East County.

He was committed to doing it again for Rancho Bernardo.