Newark residents wary of homeless
NEWARK – South end Newark residents say they live in fear of people they see on the streets who may be on drugs or struggling with mental health issues, probably homeless, and possibly stealing from the area.
The challenges for police, city leaders, health care workers and social service providers are numerous and complex, but real solutions have been elusive.
Several West Poplar and South Sixth Street residents told Newark City Council on Monday night about their experiences watching people naked, dancing, trespassing on their property, oblivious to their surroundings and unresponsive to questions from residents. There have also been thefts in the neighborhood.
Mayor Jeff Hall told the residents, “I’m sorry that’s going on in your neighborhood. It is a complicated issue, it’s not an easy one to fix, but that doesn’t mean we ignore it. We’ll have discussion. When you come in, we talk about it, so it’s not to deaf ears, trust me, we do talk about it.”
Residents said they are afraid and frustrated police have not addressed their concerns. Police explain they are understaffed but do respond based on the priority of calls for assistance. Some of the behavior is not criminal, police said.
The Licking County jail does not necessarily accept every non-violent offender during the COVID pandemic, but will accept anyone police insist be incarcerated, and frequent violators of non-violent offenses. The homeless shelters are generally at capacity. Of course, any emergency health situation would result in paramedics responding and possibly a trip to Licking Memorial Hospital.
Daniel Reither, of West Poplar Street, told council there has been theft of a 4wheeler, siding torn off a house, people walking around naked and a guy laying on his swing at 3 a.m. with a needle in his arm.
“We have a lot of problems and I’m getting the run around with the police,” Reither said. “I’m sorry to throw them under the bus. We pay to put you in here to be a voice for us and when we call and need some help, we don’t mean just come talk to us and quiet us down. We absolutely want some help.”
Reither said police know one woman by name, but can’t do anything about it because there is no indecency law anymore,
“I talked to a (police) lieutenant who said that if they arrested them, the sheriff won’t take them into the jail,” Reither said.
“They just let them go. It’s time now that we get some help and quit talking about this situation. We need cooperation from the sheriff’s department, the police department and everybody to get this mess in this town straightened up.”
South Sixth Street resident April Colley said things have worsened in the neighborhood the last two years. She said a pocketbook was stolen from inside her house and recently her neighbor, Joan Crozier, called to warn her of a woman dancing on her front porch.
“I went out on the porch and asked her what do you think you’re doing?” Colley said. “I don’t think she even knew I was there. You’ve heard the phrase the lights are on, but no one is home. That’s what it reminded me of. I don’t know if it was drugs or a mental problem.
“We used to sit on the front porch, but now you can’t be comfortable because you don’t know what’s coming down the street towards you.”
City Councilman Jeremy Blake said several homeless encampments are located at the end of West Poplar Avenue, along the Racoon Creek riverbank.
The federal moratorium on evictions ended recently, and Licking County evictions have increased from 136 in the first quarter of the year to 158 in the second quarter to 219 in the third quarter.
Alan Schwartz, one of the founders of the Newark Think Tank on Poverty, said about 100 attend the Newark Homeless Outreach on the corner of East Main and Buena Vista streets every Saturday.
Newark Police response
The police division has a workforce of 69, down from its allotment of 73, with another retirement scheduled for January. Three are in the police academy and due to graduate at the end of the year.
Safety Director Tim Hickman said the last time the city hired police officers, about 70 took the test, but after the written and physical tests and background checks, maybe 10-15 candidates remained.
Police Chief Erik Mckee said some find other jobs during the hiring process and the city hired three from the last group. Few have police officer certifications, so the city sends them to Columbus Police Academy for 6-month training. Then, there is four months of training here.
Despite the reduced workforce, Hickman and Mckee said officers will respond to calls.
“Anyone who wants a police officer, a police officer will show up,” Hickman said. “Based on volume and officer availability, there could be a significant lag time. They have to rely on their training and by the laws of arrest. Bizarre behavior is not a violation of the law. Every situation is unique.”
Mckee said homelessness is not a law enforcement problem, unless they are trespassing or involved in some other criminal activity. He said they get many calls about someone walking down the street acting weird.
Still, he wants residents to call police if they see something that might require a police response.
“I will always encourage that ,”
Mckee said. “I understand people think, ‘I don’t want to bother the police department,’ but I always encourage people to call because if you don’t call, we don’t know about it.”
“There is no easy solution to this problem. Hopefully, they don’t turn to crime. Sometimes, incarceration is not the answer.”
The safety director said the department probably needs to explain its approach to the community.
“If there’s nothing we can do, maybe we can do a better job of communicating why we’ve done what we’ve done,” Hickman said. “The officers are put in some very difficult situations.”
The chief said he wants to restore the Neighborhood Impact Unit to better connect with residents. The unit dissolved about five years ago when the workforce dwindled. The NIU did not take dispatch calls, but attended neighborhood watch groups and citizen meetings, handled speeding complaints, ongoing neighborhood disputes, drug complaints and served warrants.
Unfortunately, Mckee said, he would need six more officers to restart the NIU, after the department hires four officers to return to its threshold of 73.
“There’s no resources to bring it back,” Mckee said. “It’d take hiring several more officers. It’s something I’d like to bring back to get our officers out to citizens more instead of just going from call to call to call. I think units like that are positive.”
Licking County jail policy
Licking County Sheriff’s Office Jail Capt. Chris Barbuto said misinformation about the policies at the 332-bed jail seem to spread in the community periodically.
City Councilman Doug Marmie said at Monday’s council meeting, “As far as what’s happening at the sheriff’s department, these folks know the system and right now all they have to do is say they have a cough or say they haven’t felt well and the sheriff’s department cannot accept them into the jail due to COVID. So, they know that and whether they’re sick or not, they say that. So, that is happening.”
Barbuto responded, “If they have a cough, we don’t take them? If that were true, we wouldn’t have anyone. We have a COVID screening mechanism in place. The jail is an easy target.
“We’re trying to keep 300 inmates free from COVID. When COVID goes up around Licking County, it goes up in the jail. When our quarantine beds are more limited, we have to be more particular in who we take.”
But, Barbuto said, if police insist on the jail taking someone, they do.
“It’s always been on the table, if someone needs to be incarcerated, we’ll always take them,” Barbuto asid. “We’ve never said no.”
The spread of coronavirus was bad in September, Barbuto said, and the jail has made repeated adjustments to its 14 housing units, which divide the population by males, females, special needs, COVID quarantine, COVID isolation
“I’d say COVID hit pretty good in early September to mid-september among staff and inmates, Barbuto said. “Really, the whole month of September. The number of quarantine beds change daily. We’re constantly moving around to accommodate.”
BHP of Central Ohio role
Behavioral Healthcare Partners of Central Ohio, created in 2010 by merging Moundbuilders Guidance Center and Kraner Behavioral Health, is playing an increasing role in addressing issues involving drugs, homelessness and mental health in the community.
The private, non-profit behavioral healthcare organization plans to open an urgent care facility in downtown Newark on East Main Street, just south of First Street, in the lower level of the Knights of Pythias Building, in early November.
And, a homeless outreach specialist will be hired, contracted with the city of Newark to serve the unsheltered population of Newark within the mission of BHP, and working with police.
Jeremy Blake, city councilman and BHP board president, said the the situation on Poplar and South Sixth streets illustrates the need for the new position.
“This is a prime example where this new position could help,” Blake said.
Kate St. James, the CEO of BHP, agreed the new hire would likely be called to help with the concerns residents brought to council.
“The person will be out and about in the community and working with individuals finding themselves in homeless situations,” St. James said.
A BHP core team already assists police on calls one day a week and some evenings
“That’s been a tremendous success,” Chief Mckee said. “They’re ramping it up and getting more active this summer.”
The new urgent care facility will be like existing urgent care locations, but for behavioral, emotional and mental health. It will employ an outpatient therapist, crisis intervention specialist, case coordinator, support staffer, advance nurse practitioner and peer support specialist.
The facility, which St. James said has 75% of its staff hired, will begin with daytime hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but likely expand to weekends and evenings.
Barbuto, who is on the BHP board, said of the urgent care, “I think that’s an awesome idea, a fantastic idea. Those sorts of ideas or new initiatives, I really like seeing. Jails become a de facto mental health service center.” kmallett@newarkadvocate.com 740-973-4539
Twitter: @kmallett1958