La Crescenta residents: Not in my neighborhood

Residents in one La Crescenta neighborhood have said “not in my neighborhood,” when it comes to a convicted, violent sexual predator moving in. Now, residents in Sun Village might have to deal with him, instead.

Calvin Grassmier, 66, could move into a house at 10320 East Ave. Q-1, which is less than a quarter-mile from Littlerock High School and about one mile away from Daisy Gibson Elementary School. It’s also less than a mile from the Shaw building.

He was committed to the Department of State Hospitals as a sexually violent predator in August 1999 and held in a secure hospital for treatment, according to the Los

Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

He was released in November and he began outpatient treatment and supervision.

Grassmier will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and will be under 24-hour surveillance, which will be reduced over time, depending on his behavior.

However, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger isn’t happy with this plan and late Thursday, she encouraged residents to express their concerns to the Los Angeles County Superior Court and District Attorney’s Office.

“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,” she said in a statement, according to a Saturday report in the Antelope Valley Press. “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.”

Barger also opposed Grassmier’s placement in La Crescenta.

Sen. Scott Wilk summed it up when he said the Antelope Valley is not a dumping ground for violent criminals. It’s also not a dumping ground for the homeless, but somehow they seem to make their way up here from Los Angeles and other areas.

Let’s hope placing violent criminals here isn’t the start of a new trend in which violent criminals are sent to live in the Antelope Valley simply because it’s considered a “rural” area of Los

Angeles County.

If Grassmier is denied residency in Littlerock, it’s unclear where he will be placed, but not doubt, there will be yet another neighborhood faced with having him live there — we hope it’s not another Antelope Valley neighborhood.

Those who are opposed to Grassmier’s placement in the Antelope Valley can submit their written comments to the District Attorney’s Officer before Aug. 10, via mail. Send comments to: Sexually Violent Predator Unit, 9425 Penfield Ave., No. 3210, Chatsworth, CA 91311. They can also be emailed to SVP@da.lacounty.gov