Rocky Mount parents worry about halfway house as neighbor to event center
DOLLARS IN COMPENSATION AND
SUPPORT TO THE EAST PALESTINE
COMMUNITY. THERE'S SOME CONCERN
BREWING IN ROCKY MOUNT TONIGHT.
A BOUT A HALFWAY SAY IT IS TOO
CLOSE TO THE DOWNTOWN ROCKY
MOUNT EVENT CENTER JUST ABOUT A
BLOCK AWAY. THE CITY TELLS US.
>> MULTIPLE OFFENDERS ARE
LIVING AT A NONPROFIT RUN HOME.
WRAL'S KEENAN, WILLARD HEARD
FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MOVE
WHO WANT THAT HOME TO MOVE AS
WELL AS THE ORGANIZERS WHO
STAND BY THE LOCATION.
ROCKY MOUNT'S DOWNTOWN EVENT
CENTER IS AT THE HEART OF THE
CITY'S EFFORTS TO BOOST TOURISM
DRAWING HUNDREDS OF VISITORS
FOR WEEKEND SHOWS AND
COMPETITIONS. BUT SOME IN THE
COMMUNITY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A
NEARBY HOME AND FOUND OUT THAT
THIS WAS WELL KNOWN AND
OFFENDERS, ACTIVIST HERRICK
PITTMAN RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT
THE HOME ON ATLANTIC AVENUE.
IT'S A HALFWAY HOUSE FOR PEOPLE
WITH FELONIES ON PAROLE,
INCLUDING REGISTERED OFFENDERS.
THE HOME IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
SEEN FROM THE PARKING LOT OF
THE EVENT CENTER.
>> FOR PITTMAN, THAT'S A
PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A
LOT OF KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO THE
EVENT YOU HAVE A LOT OF MILK
IS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN
SPORTING EVENTS. WE DO WANT
THAT TYPE
>> WE TOOK THOSE CONCERNS TO
THE CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT.
A SPOKESPERSON SAYS 6 OFFENDERS
CURRENTLY LIVE AT THE PROPERTY
AND IT'S RUN BY A NONPROFIT
CALLED LOVING, LIKE COMMUNITY
OUTREACH. THE CITY SAYS THE
HOUSE DOESN'T VIOLATE ANY
ZONING LAWS AND THERE HAVEN'T
BEEN ANY SERIOUS CRIMES
REPORTED THERE IN THE PAST 6
MONTHS. WRAL KNOCKED ON THE
HOME'S DOOR MEETING, DENNIS
STEVENSON, WHO RUNS IT. HE
REJECTS THE IDEA THAT THE HOME
SHOULD BE MOVED. THE EVENT
CENTER CAME OUT THAT HIS HOME
WAS HERE. THIS HOME WAS HERE 10
TO 15 YEARS PRIOR TO THE EVENT
CENTER. STEVENSON SAYS EVERYONE
LIVING AT THE HOME WORKS A
FULL-TIME JOB AND HAS A 07:00PM
CURFEW WITH SECURITY CAMERAS
AND STAFF ON SITE. 24 HOURS
A DAY THEY BANNED FROM BEING
ABOUT 700 AND SOMETHING YOU
CAN'T NEW OVER HERE ABOUT
DAYCARE, 700, SOME STATE.
YOU CAN'T STAY IN THE PROJECTS
BECAUSE IF YOU GOT A FELON.
SO MY QUESTION TO LEGISLATORS
AND THE WORLD, WHETHER YOU WANT
THEM TO GO, THEY ARE HUMAN
KEENAN, WILLARD, WRAL NEWS,
ROCKY MOUNT AND THE MAN RUNNING
THE HOME SAYS HE BELIEVES HE'S
PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
>> FOR ROCKY MOUNT, HE WOULD
INVITE ANYONE WITH CONCERNS