In The Pipeline:

It isn’t every day that KFI’s “The John and Ken Show” makes it down to Huntington Beach, but when it does, you can be sure it isn’t to cut a supermarket ribbon.

No, the hosts typically go to where the fire is, and last week, we had a fire — in the form of a hotel where not one, not two, but five registered sex offenders were staying. Extended Stay America on Skylab Road came under criticism last week when Huntington Beach police acted responsibly by passing out fliers at the hotel notifying guests that these five men were in their midst.

Were the men allowed to be living there? I suppose so. That’s what the law says, and as much as it outrages many of us that these people are regularly allowed to blend back into society (and in some cases, resume their predatory behavior), the laws are what they are.

After hearing the news last week, I was curious about the policies of the hotel. Did management know they were housing five registered sex offenders? Did they care? Is it their business? Are the offenders obligated to make the hotel aware that they are registered sex offenders?

I was genuinely curious, so I called the hotel. Several times. There was nobody available to speak with me, and finally, they gave me a corporate number back East. After some back and forth with the marketing department and the on-site hotel manager over a two-day period, I was allowed to submit the following questions to a representative:

1. What is company policy regarding sex offenders staying in your hotels?

2. Are other guests, especially families with children, made aware of their presence when this occurs?

3. Has it happened before in company history that police have had to come in and make other guests aware of the scenario?

4. Are sex offenders obligated to let your hotel(s) know of their legal status?

5. Will your company be issuing any sort of official statement regarding this event?

Later in the day, I received this reply via e-mail that said in part:

“We had no prior knowledge that any of the guests at this hotel were registered sex offenders. We, like most hotel companies, do not run background checks on our guests. The Huntington police notified us as to the status of these individuals and that they should be removed. We have been moving forward under that directive with a legal solution, which maintains both the privacy and safety of our guests.”

The next day, the company issued this public statement:

“Three of the parolees who were staying in the hotel have already relocated and the remaining two will be relocated once the crowd disperses and it is safe for them to leave the property.

“When Extended Stay became aware of the situation, hotel employees immediately began working with the local police and parole officials to resolve this issue quickly and legally.

“Each of these individuals agreed to relocate immediately after Huntington Beach police notified the hotel of their status. However, state parole officials delayed granting them permission to leave the property. As soon as that approval was received, three of the individuals left the premises and the other two prepared to leave. Other than the lengthy process of eviction under California’s landlord tenant laws, the hotel had no legal authority to remove them.

“Extended Stay is in the process of reviewing its internal procedures to ensure, as much as possible, that these situations can be avoided in the future.”

Why this took a couple of days, I have no clue. This is a serious matter. There are 120 registered sex offenders listed in Huntington Beach on meganslaw.ca.gov. While they are supposed to live at least 2,000 feet from schools, several on the map look well within that limit, at least in relation to Harbour View School.

I applaud the Police Department for taking the initiative and passing out fliers alerting people to the presence of registered sexual offenders. But why stop there? Why not pass fliers out in every neighborhood when an offender moves in? Yes, people should try and check the Megan’s Law website. But in addition, seeing police spread the word brings a necessary, serious edge to these situations, which, as we just saw in San Diego County, can be catastrophic. Registered sex offenders may be allowed to live here.

But we’re allowed to know about it.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 17 books, including the new “Huntington Beach Then & Now.” You can write him at [email protected] .