“No More Parolees Through My Yard”

Government Mobile County Commission The people who live near the Bay Haas building want their voices heard and want changes made.

by Tiffany Craig

Published: Mon, December 08, 2008 - 6:15 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, December 08, 2008 - 8:25 pm CST

The people who live near the Bay Haas building in Midtown Mobile want their voices heard and want changes made. That building houses the state parole and probation office.

Cynthia Parham feels like no one is listening to the problems around the Bay Haas building. She tried to complain when a parolee chased her back in 2006.
"We went to the building and tried to make a complaint. She said she was too busy to take the complaint. I said well you have a secretary over here, can't they take the complaint? She said no, we're too busy."

Then in November, there was a deadly shootout outside the building. Christopher Foehl was about to be arrested for a parole violation and ran off from probation officers. Foehl was also out on bond for rape and sodomy. Foehl and the officer ended up in a shoot out. Foehl was killed and the officer was injured.

That was the last straw for neighbors. They say living in fear has to end.

Since the building is county owned, they took their complaints to the county commission meeting.

Kathy Parker described to the commission the terror that day in November. "For several moments while 10 to 14 shots were fired, my neighbor and I remained in a terrified state on my living room floor."

Since the building sits in District 1, we asked Commissioner Merceria Ludgood what she could do. Tiffany Craig asked, "Can you make a commitment to those people that you are going to do something to help? Ludgood responded, "What I can tell you is that we are going to address the long-term security issues that are presented by what they told they told us happened today and historically."

Ludgood says she has been in touch with Councilman William Carroll, He represents the district in the City of Mobile. They tell us that they plan to work with the state to come up with a solution..

In the meantime, dozens of neighbors have signed a petition. They want a fence around the building and ultimately to move the entire facility out of their backyard.

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