Interview with Dr. Stacey Benson on The Jay Thomas Show
FARGO, N.D. – The Co-Founder, CEO and President of the non-profit Sex Offender Treatment and Assessment North Dakota says many locations to move its medical facility in Fargo given by the South University Drive Coalition aren’t viable.
The group is concerned STAND is moving to a building at 2627 University Drive South across from The Bowler. It’s within a mile of the YWCA and Fraser shelters and a mile from Eagles Elementary.
“Some of them are closer to schools than the University location. One is 300 feet from a daycare. One is just steps away from a clinic that treats abused kids. When I said that we might disagree on the viability of some of these locations, we’re trying to be good neighbors to the South University Coalition, but we’re also trying to be good neighbors to the rest of Fargo,” Dr. Stacey Benson said.
Benson says some of the locations are very expensive.
“One of them is $20 million. For context, we have two clinical staff and we’re funded with state dollars. Another one of the locations is an old airport hangar. Most of them are old warehouses that are over $1 million and would need to be completely fit up,” Benson explained.
City Commissioner Michelle Turnberg said she’s concerned about woman going to the YWCA shelter by bus would be sitting near sex offenders. Benson says that’s already happening with 47 living within two miles of STAND’s new location on University Drive, 11 within one mile and three within 500 feet. She adds to comply with its federal contract, the STAND facility must be on a bus line.
Benson says STAND is 99 percent of the way toward coming to an agreement to allow the organization to stay at its location near the Cass County Jail.
