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Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco said at Monday\u2019s news conference that some problem-properties neighbor his hometown of Kerman. Pablo Orihuela | Fresnoland<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat’s at stake?<\/p>\n
The Fresno County Board Of Supervisors is looking to restrict the number of registered sex offenders that can live in a single-family home<\/p>\n
No more than six registered sex offenders would be allowed to live in one single-family home in Fresno County if a new ordinance is approved by the Board of Supervisors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Property owners would face fines totaling over $50,000 for successive violations, a six-month jail sentence, the loss of their business license if they\u2019re a care provider, and potential litigation from the county.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The law was introduced at a Monday news conference held by Board Vice Chair Garry Bredefeld, Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco, Sheriff John Zanoni and a group of Old Fig Garden residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bredefeld, who represents the Old Fig Garden region, said the penalties are as stiff as possible to prove to property owners that the county is \u201cnot messing around.\u201d Pacheco, who represents west Fresno County, said the bulk of the properties this ordinance hopes to target belong to \u201cthe same company, the same owner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco said at Monday\u2019s news conference that some problem-properties neighbor his hometown of Kerman. Pablo Orihuela | Fresnoland<\/p>\n
That man, county officials said Monday, is John Coyle, and his company, Centers For Living<\/a>, a faith-based organization offering transitional living and supportive services for a range of displaced individuals, including registered sex offenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Centers For Living did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cMany transitional houses such as these are often located in county islands and unincorporated areas of the county,\u201d Bredefeld said. \u201cThese operators often believe they can avoid scrutiny, evade accountability, and use loopholes and existing laws to make a profit at the expense of our families.\u201d<\/p>\n The ordinance targets property owners of single-family homes, including accessory dwelling units and mobile homes that may be attached to the property. It will not affect apartments, according to Bredefeld. The county\u2019s probation officers are in charge of monitoring sex offenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n State law<\/a> caps the number of sex offenders the county\u2019s proposed ordinance can limit to one home to just six. That state law has no enforcement tenant attached to it, according to sheriff\u2019s office spokesperson Tony Botti. Local cities and counties are able to take things a step further if they desire to enforce the legislation with their own policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Botti told Fresnoland on Monday that deputies have fewer enforcement options to resolve complaints without a tool to enforce the law.<\/p>\n He added that deputies have discovered as many as 16 registered sex offenders living under one roof during compliance checks.<\/p>\n Zanoni said at Monday\u2019s news conference that two of the properties managed by Centers For Living \u2014 both located on the 300 block of East Gettysburg Avenue \u2014 have drawn the most calls for service. One of those calls<\/a> ended with a 34-year-old man behind bars facing child pornography-related charges.<\/p>\n Sheriff records<\/a> show that law enforcement have been called at the two properties for probation contacts, ambulance requests and calls for mental health services. Some calls have also ended up in misdemeanor and felony arrests.<\/p>\n Some disturbances have also become violent as of late, Zanoni said at the news conference, pointing to a shooting in August in a Fig Garden<\/a> transitional living property that he said happened because the suspected shooter \u201cbelieved that an individual who was there was involved in the molestation of a relative of hers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a lot of our time. And really, these are not the kinds of calls for service that we should be handling in residential neighborhoods,\u201d Zanoni said at the news conference.<\/p>\n Frances Morrison and Beverly Raine, two Old Fig Garden residents who support the new law, shared their own stories of sex offender issues in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n Morrison said the problem was the \u201cbiggest issue\u201d she heard while campaigning for her current role as Commissioner of the Fig Garden Police Protection District<\/a> \u2014 a neighborhood organization that partners with local law enforcement to address safety concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n Morrison said she was frustrated that Jessica\u2019s Law<\/a> \u2014 a law that limits where registered sex offenders are allowed to live \u2014 was softened by the California Supreme Court in 2015<\/a> following legal arguments that the restrictions made it too difficult for convicted offenders to find a home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Originally, Jessica\u2019s Law firmly restricted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet, or about a half-mile, from a school or park. The 2015 court ruling<\/a> allowed for those restrictions to be granted on a more case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody wants to live with these people,\u201d Morrison said at the news conference.<\/p>\n Raine, who said she moved to Fig Garden about 20 years ago, said the issue has only become worse over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been hell, literally hell,\u201d Raine said at the news conference.<\/p>\n Residents of the Fig Garden have raised concerns about homes like these before<\/a>, including those managed by Coyle and his business.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC1218.jpg\")
Frances Morrison. Pablo Orihuela | Fresnoland<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC1219.jpg\")
Beverly Raine. Pablo Orihuela | Fresnoland<\/p>\n