WHNT- Myric Hotel Demolished

What I see happening in Alabama (and many other places) is the news prompts fear and hysteria and a call to shut down low-income housing, which is the best many ex-felons struggling to obtain jobs and housing can afford. Sad. Stable housing and employment reduces recidivism among ex-felons.

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-myric-motel-demolished,0,5525914.story

WHNT Myric Motel Demolished Amber Stuart WHNT Reporter 5:13 PM CDT, June 7, 2010 HUNTSVILLE [Image] A motel that's been a Huntsville landmark and later became home to sex offenders is being leveled.

Demolition crews started tearing up the Myric Motel last week.

Huntsville Police have kept up with sex offenders who have lived there over the years. Before the demolition nine registered sex offenders called the motel home. The number of registered sex offenders fluctuated at the Myric Motel. But the last count was nine men. "By law they have to register with us when they move," said Madison County Sheriff Investigator Brent Patterson. That way, law enforcement can warn people when they are moving into their neighborhood. "We let the community know when they are living in that area, when they are moving to that area, and they want to establish residency there," said Patterson.
Of the registered sex offenders who were living at the Myric Motel, Huntsville Police say one man has moved out of town. Two men are in Alabama prisons on parole violations, and two are missing. They say one man is living in Madison County. Three of them are living in Huntsville on Knight Road.

Brent Patterson with the Madison County Sheriff's Department says they aren't just watching the Myric Motel sex offenders. "It's not just them, we have sex offenders all over the place. It's our job. It's not anything we like or dislike. It's our job to maintain where they're at what they're around: schools, daycares, my kids, your kids anybody's kids and make sure they don't violate the law again," said Patterson. The two men Huntsville Police are looking for, Federico Camacho-Serna and Robert Townsend. It's a felony crime for failing to register as a sex offender. Right now, it's unclear what the land will be used for once it's cleared.