A Port Angeles grandmother’s plea for safety on Sixth Street exposes the widening gap between City Hall’s ideals and residents’ reality. When city leaders focus on philosophical debates instead of urgent threats, the result isn’t compassion — it’s negligence.
When a Port Angeles resident wrote to the entire City Council expressing fear for her grandson’s safety, she wasn’t asking for a lecture on housing policy. She wanted action [Editor’s note: The resident’s letter has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity].
“When is it enough? I picked my grandson up from school today and he said, ‘Grammy, I’m afraid sometimes to walk by Goodwill and Sixth Street.’ He says the—as Amy Miller calls them—our less fortunate, follow him. Guess who lives on this street creeping around? The guy with the crap all sprawled on Sixth by Goodwill is convicted child rapist Robert Keith.
“So I am also reporting this to Code. And I am contacting outside news media showing you keep allowing unregistered sex offenders and child rapists to live on our streets. Today I witnessed an elderly lady with a walker that had to walk in the street because of Sixth Street’s sidewalks. So maybe Amy, instead of trying to see how they can live in our parks and streets—and destroying our community—maybe think about the children.
“I look forward to a response.”
Councilmember Amy Miller replied:
“Thanks for the email, I appreciate your perspective and feel badly that your grandson is fearful in our community.
”Folks with criminal backgrounds often find themselves living on the streets because finding housing with a record is near impossible. I believe that shelter is a right for everyone (even those less fortunate than I) and am discouraged that cannot be the way community’s work.
”I leave the enforcement of laws to the police, and and trust our department to continue to do the right thing. I believe the feeling of safety is integral to community. It is not a viable goal to arrest or otherwise remove individuals from place to place because they occupy space. So, yes, I place my energy into solutions that may be more successful. These often involve discussions on the “where” people can go if we say they can’t be “there”.
”I hope this helps clarify my perspective. Again, thank you for your engagement.”— Amy Miller, Port Angeles City Council
What Miller Didn’t Say
While Miller’s response is polite and consistent with her political philosophy, it fails on several levels that matter most to the public:
Silence on the core allegation:
The resident explicitly reported that convicted child rapist Robert Keith was living on Sixth Street, allegedly unregistered and camping near Goodwill. Miller’s email completely ignores that claim — neither acknowledging the seriousness of the allegation nor committing to forward it to law enforcement.Neglect of public safety and accessibility:
The resident also described a woman with a walker forced into the street because of sidewalk obstruction. That’s a clear code and public works issue — one fully within the city’s purview. Yet Miller said nothing.Tone of moral superiority:
Phrases like “even those less fortunate than I” and the abstract defense of “shelter as a right” might sound compassionate in a policy paper, but to a frightened grandmother, they read as dismissive. It’s the subtle shame often used by officials to silence legitimate questions.
Miller’s message, typical of the city’s current leadership, is heavy on empathy but light on accountability. The public isn’t asking for cruelty — they’re asking for boundaries and enforcement that protect children, seniors, and pedestrians.
The Facts the City Won’t Say Out Loud
According to the Washington State sex offender registry, Robert Allen Keith, 41, is listed as a transient in Port Angeles.
2009: Convicted of rape of a child in the third degree
2010: Convicted of child molestation in the third degree
2024: Convicted for failing to register as a sex offender
Photos taken three days ago show Keith still parked on Sixth Street near Goodwill. The sidewalk remains blocked by a tent and derelict vehicles.
Despite a public Facebook post on October 15th stating “Tow stickers going on autos on 6th Str/Goodwill area yesterday. Code enforcement already there this morning,” the scene remains unchanged — three cars, a tent, and debris still obstructing pedestrian access.
The Larger Question
While city leaders debate “where” people can go, residents are asking why their taxes, fees, and utilities keep rising while basic public safety and code enforcement continue to fail. When sidewalks are impassable, when known offenders linger unchecked, and when compassion replaces responsibility, it’s not progress — it’s denial.
At some point, compassion without accountability becomes cruelty to everyone else.
