MI- Controversy continues over sex offender who froze to death

3-25-2009 Michigan:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The death of a homeless man continues to stir up controversy.

The victim was found dead behind an auto salvage business in late January, he froze to death after being turned away from a shelter. He was later identified as 52-year-old Thomas Pauli.

Pauli was turned away from the shelter because he was a registered sex offender.

Now the debate rages about whether or not he should have been allowed into that shelter. It's an issue that has sparked passionate controversy in Grand Rapids. Many of the organizations to help the homeless are very close to Division Avenue, within 1,000 feet of a school, and nobody's in agreement what, if anything, to do to help homeless sex offenders.

"I don't want them anywhere in the city," said Sharon Hannon.

Hannon doesn't want any convicted sex offenders nearby, she says she was victimized by a sex offender as a child and doesn't have any compassion for an offender who doesn't have a place to call home.

"I want to take the welcome rug away," said Hannon, "I don't want Grand Rapids perceived as a safe-haven for pedophiles. I feel as long as they are on the streets anywhere they are a danger to the most innocent of our society."

Hannon is encouraging local leaders to continue prohibiting sex offenders from shelters near schools. She's concerned that offenders could victimize the innocent again.

"We can't be with our children all the time," said Hannon, "so let's not make this a warn and fuzzy place to be."

Marge Palmerlee of Dégagé Ministries says the incident with a sex offender freezing to death on the sidewalk after being denied admittance to two shelters should not happen again.

"This was a life that was lost and it can't happen again and again and again," said Palmerlee. "As a community let's work towards compassion, mercy, and justice."

Palmerlee is looking to clarify the law that requires sex offenders to stay 1,000 feet away from a school. Several shelters in downtown Grand Rapids are within that distance, and legally the workers at the shelters are forced to turn sex offenders away. Palmerlee feels there is still a question about that law though.

She says she wants "to get clarity to find out if residing is the same as staying overnight in a mission."

Palmerlee says sex offenders are, at times, unfairly branded for life for their crimes, and she believes there needs to be a change in the law to help people at their worst.

"Personally I think we have a responsibility as a community to make sure even the least among us have a place to lay their head at night and don't freeze to death," said Palmerlee. ..News Source.. by WWMT.com