"Mr. Cardinale has been talking to me, and I have asked for an analysis of other sites from our folks at the Department of Public Works, specifically near the jail in Yaphank," Chief Deputy County Executive Jim Morgo said in an interview this week.

In the meantime, he said, the county has taken steps to ensure that the trailer's current location in a parking lot at the Riverside jail, which is a short distance from several schools, parks and a library, is more secure.

The News-Review revealed last week -- with the aid of a Riverhead town assessor with knowledge of the property -- that the fence surrounding the trailer had a large gap at its rear and a gate that was never closed.

The openings lead to trails that stretch through the woods behind the jail to county routes 24 and 51.

"We're making sure the gate is closed; the sheriff agreed to do that," Mr. Morgo said. "The fence people are up there today [to fix the gap]. And we're putting a television monitor inside the trailer."

Officials at the county's Department of Social Services had previously touted the Riverside location because of its barbed wire and "secure perimeter fence."

"We are between a rock and a hard place because these people are not prisoners," Mr. Morgo said. "And it's difficult for them, because of legislation, to go to where they normally would go to, boarding houses and things like that."

While Mr. Cardinale said he understood the county's predicament, seeing it is required by state law to house all homeless people in search of shelter, he requested officials to reconsider the current program "because the [Riverside] jail is not a remote spot."

"Reasoned policy would want to place it in the middle of some field, with a small fence around it, rather than the middle of some established community," the supervisor said. "Yaphank is a much better choice. While there may be homes not too far away from [the Yaphank jail], here we have not only residential homes, but libraries and schools and all sorts of other facilities."

Also citing the expense involved in transporting the sex offenders throughout Suffolk County daily by cab, Mr. Cardinale noted that a more centrally located site would save taxpayers' money as well.

"Of course, nobody is anxious to house the site," he added.

Backed by County Executive Steve Levy, social services officials decided to locate the trailer by the jail in early 2007. The decision caused an uproar among local residents, who fought unsuccessfully to have it moved -- or at least rotated around the county, as once promised by Mr. Levy, so everyone would share the burden.

But this month, as first reported in The News-Review, the county replaced the original eight-person trailer with one that can fit more than 20 sex offenders.

County officials said the proliferation of legislation restricting where sex offenders could live resulted in a boost in the homeless sex offender population.

According to the state's sex offender registry, 16 offenders list the trailer as their home address. Of these, 13 are considered Level 3, or the most likely to re-offend. Eleven were convicted for crimes against children.

MEET THE HOMELESS SEX OFFENDERS LIVING IN THE COUNTY'S TRAILER IN RIVERSIDE

"County Executive Steve Levy certainly understands the concerns, but I've been up to the site, and it's secure," Mr. Morgo said. "And we're making it more secure."

Mr. Morgo noted that once the offenders check in for the night at 8 p.m. -- after being taxied to the site by social services -- there are three security guards on hand to keep an eye on the trailer.

"And if they're loitering around, they can be arrested," he said.

Asked if he agrees with any of Mr. Cardinale's assertions about the trailer's current location, Mr. Morgo said: "If a supervisor asks us to do something, in most cases we'll at least consider what he says and take it seriously. That's what we're doing."

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