San Diego Supervisors Oppose SVP Housing in Rural Areas

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to formally contest the placement of three sexually violent predators (SVPs) in rural neighborhoods. This decision comes alongside a request for updates on John Phillips, another SVP who is currently unaccounted for. The proposal, supported by Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond, includes a letter to Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers asking to prevent the release of Reynaldo Delrosario and Michael Poulsom to a residence in Boulevard. They also appealed against John Phillips’s placement in Borrego Springs.

Delrosario and Poulsom, both of whom have prior convictions involving children, are recommended for conditional release by the California Department of State Hospitals. County officials expressed concern over the public safety implications of these decisions, especially with one SVP, Merle Wakefield, having removed his GPS monitor and gone missing. Community members have voiced their fears and urged for more stringent measures to protect rural areas from the risks associated with SVP placement.