Opinion ID: 158786
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Reopening the Trinidad Detox and Implementation of a New Policy for Utilization

Text: 16 On June 30, 1995, the Advisory Board realized its goal: The Crossroads detoxification facility for Trinidad reopened. See id. at 63. That same day the Trinidad Police Department issued General Order 95-03. The Order declared, [e]ffective immediately, when an Officer has contact with any individual who exhibits any potential of intoxication resulting from the ingestion of alcohol, drugs, inhalants or any combination of those substances, the subject is to be evaluated by Detox center staff for consideration of detox treatment. Id. (emphasis added). The Order concluded: The [Crossroads] Detox will remain available contingent on full utilization. A great deal of cooperation, effort and resources went into the re-opening of this facility. If client referrals are not frequently made the facility will not remain available. Id. 17 The effect of this Order was dramatic. The referrals to detox in June of 1995, the month which culminated with the issuance of General Order 95-03, numbered 32. See id. at 279-80. In July 1995, following the issuance of the order, referrals numbered 114. See id. In fact, in the eighteen months preceding the Order, the average number of monthly referrals was 34.6. See id. In the fifteen months following the Order, the average number of monthly referrals had increased to 85.5. See id. 18 General Order 95-03 survived for a number of months, but in October, 1995, the Mayor's niece, Erica Fabec, a plaintiff in this case, was seized from the back seat of a car while home from college. See id. at 107. She had drunk some wine and had a blood alcohol content of 0.045. See id. at 109. Plaintiffs allege the Mayor discussed the policy with the City Attorney and raised the issue at one or more City Council meetings. See id. at 46. 19 On November 6, 1995, the Trinidad Police Department issued General Order 95-04. See id. at 64. Order 95-04 rescinded Order 95-03 and implemented a new policy. The new policy deleted the language that any potentially intoxicated individual must be evaluated by detox and added language that the seizures must be made only where there is probable cause that [the] person is intoxicated and incapacitated by alcohol and is clearly a danger to the health and safety of him/herself and others. See id. Order 95-04 also mandated that the identity of all taken to detox must be submitted to the Chief of Police. See id.