City planning sobering center for drunks
The city plans to open a sobering center at the Star of Hope mission downtown later this year, an 84-bed facility where police would bring detainees whose only offense is drunkenness instead of booking them into jail.
Police arrest 19,000 people a year for public intoxication who account for an estimated $4 million to $6 million in jail costs annually.
People brought to the sobering center would have no arrest on their records and would be released once they’re sober...
...”I think it’s a much more cost-effective way of doing business. It’s much more effective in terms of police officers not being tied up with an arrest on a busy weekend for a simple charge of p.i. (public intoxication) that’s a non-violent crime.”...
...The city will pay for the $3 million in renovations needed to the warehouse from the proceeds of voter-approved public safety bonds. The city’s annual costs to lease, pay for staffing and cover utilities for the facility is estimated at $1.5 million.
“Incarcerating individuals whose only criminal behavior is public intoxication diverts law enforcement from more serious or life-threatening crimes,” said Mayor Annise Parker in a released statement. “Sobering centers in other cities have proven to be time savers for patrol officers, allowing them to quickly return to their assigned duties to deal with more serious crimes.”
Gotta say I like this.
The jail's already there, how does it cost $6 to put someone in it?
ReplyDeleteAnd who's paying to run this other facility?
Feeding costs, basic costs for guards, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe city will pay to run the new "sleep it off" facility. The idea is just in it's infancy (hasn't been approved by the city council, etc) but it may clear up the lower level jails from a rather minor class c offense so we can handle more serious class c offenses (assault by contact, thefts, etc.)