By Mary O’KEEFE

Convicted sexually violent predator (SVP) Calvin Grassmier has a new proposed placement in a residence in Sun Village in the Antelope Valley.

Prior to Sun Village the proposed placement for Grassmier was in a house in the Briggs Terrace area of La Crescenta. Neighbors started a grassroots effort called Briggs United in opposition to the placement of the SVP. The judge rejected his placement due to the issues shared by the residents, which included the lack of cellphone service, the extreme high fire risks and the nearness to homes in this family-oriented neighborhood.

As with the La Crescenta placement, Los Angeles County Supervisor Katherine Barger voiced her concerns and objections to Grassmier’s placement in the Antelope Valley.

“I reiterate my grave concerns and considerable alarm with the latest proposed placement of sexually violent predator Calvin Grassmier into a home in Sun Village, which may impact the safety and well-being of the local residents. I believe that the residents deserve transparency and accountability from all those involved in this process and I will work with the local elected officials, public safety leaders, and the community to continue to vehemently oppose this proposed placement. I encourage others to join me in expressing their concerns to the Superior Court and the District Attorney’s office, and advocate for the safety of the children, youth and adults who reside in this community,” Barger stated.

The proposed house is less than a quarter mile from Littlerock High School and close to Daisy Gibson Elementary School and the Sun Village Community Center, according to Barger.

Grassmier has a long list of violent sexual crimes. He was convicted in 1989 and for decades he has been in a state hospital.

        “A ‘sexually violent predator’ means a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense against one or more victims and who has a diagnosed mental disorder that makes the person a danger to the health and safety of others in that it is likely that he or she will engage in sexually violent criminal behavior,” according to the State of California definition.

The Antelope Valley location was proposed by Liberty Healthcare, which is the contractor that is tasked with finding a suitable location to place the SVP and then to monitor him or her.

Briggs United has vowed to help other neighbors if they choose to object to the SVP’s proposed location. For Alex Gardner, the organizer of Briggs United, it is not about “not in our neighborhood;” it is about re-evaluating how SVPs are placed and monitored.

Gardner is in touch with Barger’s office and is working to connect with the Sun Village neighbors to share what Briggs United has learned when they opposed Grassmier’s proposed placement in the La Crescenta area. They are paying the information forward because when they were creating their grassroots movement another group from a San Diego neighborhood shared their information with them.