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Angry crowd hears of county offer A deal is closer that would turn old Safeway into parole, probation center, official tells west Medford neighbors By DANI DODGE Jackson County has made an offer on the old Safeway building in west Medford in hopes of turning it into a parole and probation office. County Administrator Sue Slack disclosed the pending deal to about 50 people who attended a community meeting Tuesday -- and the audience didn't hesitate to express its disappointment and anger. "I feel like there isn't much we can do," said Phil Colvard, a west Medford resident. "It's frustrating and scary -- and I don't have kids. If I had kids I'd be even much more afraid." In February, the county announced it was considering buying the defunct Safeway store at 1101 W. Main St., Medford, for a community corrections building. It would allow the department to consolidate its parole and probation services at several sites into one location and save the money it spends on rent. On Tuesday, Community Corrections Director Bob Grindstaff tried to soothe the fears of neighbors, insisting that studies have shown crime doesn't go up in neighborhoods near probation offices. Grindstaff shared additional statistics about the success of his department's programs in turning around criminals. He said of the 340 offenders who have completed the county's cognitive restructuring program, less than 1 percent have reoffended. But Terah Kropp, a west Medford resident, rattled off government statistics in response. In 1991, she said, 45 percent of state prisoners were people who -- at the time they committed their offenses -- were already on parole or probation for another crime. Like many who attended the meeting at Oak Grove Elementary School, Kropp was disappointed that none of the county commissioners showed up as expected to hear the community's concerns. "I think they don't care about the community," said Gigi Michaels, the director of the West Medford Community Coalition, which set up the meeting. "They would have stuck to their word and showed up if they cared." But other county representatives did show up. Shar McKinnon, a parole and probation officer who lives in west Medford, told residents that many of the people going to the probation and parole office already live in the neighborhood. She said four people on her street report to her. "You have to face reality," McKinnon said. "Reality is most of the offenders live in west Medford." But, she added, in the years she's lived in the neighborhood she's had no crimes committed against her. "Just my presence is a deterrent there," she said. Laura Hisamoto, a coalition board member, said she'd rather live near a prison than the parole office. "I live just a few blocks from there and those people will be walking my streets and alleys while my kids are at home," Hisamoto said. "It's frightening." Several who spoke said they had talked to people who lived in neighborhoods where probation offices have been located -- including the neighborhood in the study Grindstaff cited. "People told me it has torn their neighborhood apart," Michaels said. When people asked what they could do to stop the project, they were told the decision lies with the board of commissioners. Slack -- who did not provide details on the county's purchase offer -- said she's gotten her initial direction from the commissioners. "I've been asked to pursue the building -- that's my direction by the commission," she said."We have made an offer, but we have not come to an agreement." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA