State investigating neighbors’ complaints about Phoenix detox center

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - After six months of asking city and state government leaders to help stop the influx of drug detox patients into her neighborhood, the Department of Health Services finally gave Dorri Thyden a glimmer of hope. “They informed me they are moving forward with the investigation,” Thyden said. Arizona’s Family first reported on this issue in August.

Thyden lives near Crossroads Detox Center at 20th Street and Osborn Road. Patients are sent to the facility to try to get clean. But Thyden said they wander behind the center or into the Loma Linda neighborhood all too often. She has videos of people doing drugs, urinating, and leaving paraphernalia or pills behind.

“It can be frustrating because you see these things over and over, and you hope it’s obvious that this is a danger to us, to the families, to the kids walking, and it can be done quickly, but it can’t,” she said.

Tom Hermann, spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Health Services, sent this statement, which reads:

For Thyden, it’s a tough balance of compassion and safety for herself, her family, and her neighbors. She is cautiously optimistic there is a resolution coming. But she feels trapped in a web of bureaucratic red tape for now. “I would hope the state in their investigation can uncover whatever those processes and protocols are for their (Crossroads) patients to make sure they’re getting the help they need, but not inflicting additional due harm on the neighborhood as well,” she said.

Thyden is organizing a community meeting on the issue scheduled for next week.

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