Jail Inmate Monitoring Firm Agrees to Leave City

BURBANK —  A firm that electronically monitors convicts has agreed to leave town after residents and city officials complained that its operations pose a threat to neighbors.

Sentinel Monitoring Corp. will move from its office at 1212 S. Victory Blvd. next month, said Robert Tague, Burbank’s community development director.

Sentinel officials declined to say where the branch will move.

To encourage the move, the city has agreed to assume from Sentinel an existing rental agreement with two years to run at a total cost of $93,750.

“We told them they needed to move from that location, which was too close to a residential area and a school,” said Mayor Bob Kramer. “I can say I am more than happy to see them out of the city.”

Kramer said Sentinel was asked to relocate to a commercial area and that it instead chose to leave Burbank.

Burbank Police Chief David Newsham said his office had received a large number of complaints due to the “influx of undesirable types” in the mainly residential and business area.

Newsham said that residents complained about friends and family of the offenders who moved through the area. The branch office is about four blocks from William McKinley Elementary School.

The office handles about 300 offenders.

Although the offenders are classified as low-risk, Newsham said that a police review found that several had committed felonies, including sex crimes and batteries.

Sentinel Vice President William J. Dow said his company deals with the cases that are sent by the criminal justice system.

“It’s important for you to know that Sentinel doesn’t make the decisions on who comes out of jail,” said Dow. “Sentinel has been responsive and has cooperated with the city of Burbank. We feel we have handled this from businessman to businessman. It’s one of those things we want to get behind us.”

Residents who complained about Sentinel reacted positively.

“We’re gratified that the council listened to us,” said Caroline Swaisgood. “It’s very impressive what a community organization can do.

“The city has notified us when they wanted to put an apartment building in, but not when they want to put criminals a block from us,” Swaisgood said.

Burbank will take over the five-year lease that Sentinel has with Thrush Management. Monthly payments are $3,750 and the lease runs out in November 1999. The city is seeking a new tenant.

When Burbank’s planning division approved Sentinel’s business license, it labeled it as “office use.” The city had no zoning that specifically prohibited electronic surveillance facilities.

That will change soon. New codes adopted by the City Council on Oct. 13 will restrict such businesses to at least 1,000 feet from commercial or residential zones, schools or community centers.

“We spent an awful lot of time processing [Sentinel’s] business license. But by the time we gave them the license, that’s when the council decided to change the ordinance,” said Tague. “Part of the problem is new technology. It moves faster than ordinances.”

Tague said lawyers for the city and Sentinel are finalizing agreements that should be signed this week. Sentinel assured the city that it would move by December, added Tague.

“They kind of snuck into our city,” said Kramer. “We were not aware they would bring convicts into our city.”