Morgantown has had a drinking problem for decades.
That problem extends from Fraternity Row and packed bars to downtown sidewalks and hospital emergency rooms.
Hospital emergency rooms? Yes, that’s where law enforcement officers drop off intoxicated people compromising their own well-being and the welfare of our community.
That issue came up last week at a special meeting of Morgantown City Council to discuss what the city can do to address the growing transient population downtown.
One aspect of that population are numerous public intoxication arrests and incidents resulting in a process that is not only ineffective, but costly.
Morgantown’s Police Chief Ed Preston told council the only option police have now is Ruby Memorial Hospital’s emergency department, where hallways get crowded on weekends.
The North Central Regional Jail (about 60 miles from here) will not even accept individuals who are intoxicated until they’ve been medically cleared (are sober).
Some estimates assert about 10% of all emergency room calls are alcohol-related, of which many are not emergency cases, just a place where someone can sober up.
As you would imagine, some individuals get frequent arrest points, as in arrested three times in one day by three different officers or another person, who frequents downtown, has 17 pending charges and 12 unpaid fines.
Which raises another point. According to Preston, the city court alone has levied 1,600 fines in the past 18 months, which have gone unpaid.
If those numbers don’t get your attention the more than $200,000 those fines represent in those past 18 months might, which doesn’t include transportation costs and jail fees.
To Preston’s credit he did not only come to this session to complain about this exercise in futility.
Instead, he offered well-reasoned and policy driven solutions that by our estimation will certainly help everyone involved, including business owners, the city’s finances and the intoxicated men and women being arrested.
“It (a public intoxication center) is something that we absolutely, positively have to have,” he said. He also noted such a center would cost less than what it’s costing now to recycle intoxicated individuals through the hospital or regional jail.
As to those unpaid fines, he urged City Council to call on municipal and magistrate courts to impose more sentences heavy on community service for people short on funds for fines.
Preston is right. We urge council to make that recommendation to these courts and set the wheels in motion to open a public intoxication center.
We’re not just spending a lot of money for no return. We’re not even holding out a hope for these individuals’ recovery.
This community, including WVU, also has the ability to offer expert solutions, too.
