![]() ![]() And if I believe right, we have a sign upstairs and there’s eight rules that are on it. “If you violate any of the rules and their basic rules, you will be asked to leave. Nunley said most of what he sees come into the shelter is alcohol, not drugs. Asper said sometimes that results in someone being arrested, but often, the police presence diffuses the issue.Īnthony Nunley is the security officer at the shelter. But if the issues escalate - like, into physical fights - they call the police. Asper said that staff receive training from the police department about how to handle issues. People are allowed to come into the shelter if they are intoxicated, but they can’t keep drinking inside. So yes, we do see people getting upset and not knowing how to handle that situation and yelling.”Īsper said that drug or alcohol use isn’t allowed in the shelter - those who use those substances will be asked to leave. And that really limits the ability their brain has to function. They include, you know, defending themselves and when somebody is living on the streets, they go into fight or flight. “So their survival skills don’t include paying bills, and they don’t include going grocery shopping. “Our participants live in a completely different world than what we live in,” she explained. One council member, Abby Bradberry, has even suggested closing the shelter immediately while an audit is performed, and said she heard allegations of staff using drugs.ĭeborah Asper is the chief executive officer of First City Homeless Services, the organization that runs the shelter. City clerk Taylor Lee wrote to KRBD in an email on Wednesday that the session could be in August, and it will likely take weeks for a date to be set. A special session is in the works to give the council room to talk about next steps - whether to move forward with renewing the lease, and if they do, what to change. “And if we don’t understand everybody, then there’s a missing piece somewhere.”īut despite that sentiment, local business owners and people who live in the downtown area have come to the City Council to complain about illegal or inappropriate behavior from people in or around the shelter. “Everybody should understand everybody,” he said. ![]() He said that’s because there isn’t as much violence, and there aren’t gangs. “And I do believe this is the best one I’ve ever seen,” Merrick said. Merrick said he’s used other shelters in the state, like in Anchorage, and also some down south. “You find out a lot about a place by how they treat the homeless people on the streets,” he said. He couldn’t find a new one and decided to move to Ketchikan, to see if things got better for him in a bigger town. Zach Merrick was at the shelter Wednesday morning, dressed in a brown tee shirt and jeans, watching a movie in the common area filled with recliners and couches. In the first of a two-part series, KRBD visited the First City Haven to speak with staff and shelter users about their experiences. The conversation comes amid recent public testimony about illegal or inappropriate activity in and around the shelter. Ketchikan’s City Council will soon consider whether to renew its lease with the only 24/7 emergency shelter in town - or possibly, to change the terms. A 2020 file photo of the building that houses First City Haven, the 24/7 shelter run by First City Homeless Services. ![]()
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