Residents protest Long Beach Motor Inn

About 30 Island Park resident gathered outside the Long Beach Motor Inn on Saturday to protest Nassau County’s housing of sex offenders there.

The protest, organized by the Island Park Civic Association, was the second one in front of the infamous motel, 18 months after the IPCA’s first gathering. And although it was windy, the protesters held their signs high. “CLOSE the Long Beach Motor Inn,” some read, while others called for “Sex offenders and criminals OUT.”

“[We’re here] because Nassau County continues to place sex offenders and felons at this motel, located in our community,” said association member Rich Schurin. “Promises have been made by politicians to get these people out, and nothing’s happened.”

Local politicians and candidates were on the scene to show their support for the group. County Legislator Denise Ford was there, as was her challenger in this week’s election, Darlene Tangney, along with Town Council candidate Claudia Borecky and West Hempstead resident Gary Port, who is challenging Kate Murray for town supervisor. Port took part in the effort to close the Courtesy Motel in West Hempstead — a fight similar to the one the Civic Association is mounting to close the Motor Inn.

According to John Imhof, commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Social Services, the county pays the Motor Inn $75 per room per night to house both homeless families and sex offenders. Imhof pointed out, however, that the county does not choose residences for sex offenders.

“DSS does not place sex offenders anywhere,” he wrote in an email to the Herald. “Homeless sex offenders are required to find their own temporary shelter and are required to notify their parole or probation officers, and the police department as to their current location.”

The Civic Association’s call for action took on renewed urgency last year when, in January, Alphonso Barnes was arrested and charged with the rape and violent assault of a woman in Long Beach. Barnes, while not a registered sex offender, was a homeless parolee whom the county was housing at the Motor Inn. He had previously been arrested on charges of manslaughter, rape, burglary and robbery.

Police records show that there was a homicide at the Motor Inn on Oct. 7, 2010, as well as a rape on Nov. 23.

Civic Association members also say that the motel acts as temporary county-funded housing for homeless families. The group doesn’t have a problem with the arrangement, but members say they worry about the families’ safety.

“Having women and children here, that’s OK,” said Tommy Asher, who owns the Village Nursery School, just down the road from the Long Beach Motor Inn. “But then you put parolees and sex offenders in the same place. I don’t get it.”

Asher said he also worries about the safety of the children who attend his nursery school, which is next door to a 7-Eleven where many of those staying at the Motor Inn go to buy food. Asher said he has often seen men standing around the 7-Eleven, watching his school.

Imhof said there are currently no homeless families staying at either the Motor Inn or the Plantation Motel, which is also in Island Park. But he acknowledged that, on occasion, families are housed at the Motor Inn for more than 28 days.

“While not the most desirable circumstance, what must also be taken into consideration is the schooling of the children — to move them every 28 days from motel to motel until permanent housing is found is seriously disruptive to the children attending school in one district, who would then have to be relocated and begin school anew every 30 days,” Imhof wrote, referring to a county law that says the housed families and parolees cannot stay in one motel more than 28 days. “Over the past 10 months, DSS has found permanent housing for 183 families, and our goal is to find permanent housing as quickly as possible for every family that becomes homeless. In a perfect world that would work, but there are many issues — size of family, rental costs, available housing, educational needs, medical needs of children when applicable, just to name a few — that must be considered and resolved in order to secure permanent housing.”

The Motor Inn’s management disagrees with the Civic Association’s contention that it houses sex offenders. “We have no sex offenders,” said a representative. “And [the Civic Association] should check its info before they disrupt things.” Imhof also stated that, to DDS’s knowledge, there are currently no sex offenders at the Motor Inn.

But the Civic Association is still fighting to get the motel closed. Members say they see it as a blight on the community. “I thought things were going to get done, and four years later they’re sneaking them in again,” said Asher. “All for a buck.”