Alton, IL.-Senior state officials are ordering changes at the shelter here for victims of Hurricanr Katrina in the wake of recent complaints by some evacuees.A teamfrom the Illinois Dept. of Health and Human Services told local officials to limit searches of evacuees re-entering the Alton Mental Health Center after outings and to find more minority volunteers.
The changes came after complaints late last week from a handful of evacuees organized by St. Louis-based Muslim leader Stacey El-Muhammad, who volunteered at the shelter. The group claims that police are acting too heavy-handed, that black volunteers are kept away from the shelter and that evacuees receive poor treatment due to racism. "Thats why we brought the staff to the facility(Thursday) to look into that," said Tom Green, a department spokesman. Although I would say that the management has been working night and day, and sometimes around the clock, to provide comfortable housing for the evacuees-and (racism) would certainly be the last thing that I would want to accuse them of-the department did want to look at finding voluteers who would be more culturally appropriate." Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan defended his departments performance at the shelter Thursday, pointing out that the city is spending $54,000 a month to protect the 105 evacuees who live there. Sullivan said, however, that the city hopes the FEMA will reimburse it for those costs. He said the complaints are coming from a small subset of evacuees and that there is good reason to maintan a robust level of security at the facility. His officers have made at least six arrests at the cener since 162 evacuees arrived from New Orleans on Sept. 7, and Sullivan said officers have looked the other way numerous times when the unruly behavior of shelter occupants warranted detention. Evacuees get into shouting matches, fights break out, and residents return intoxicated from nights out on the town- one so muchso that he urinated in a hallway. Just Sunday, another man was caught trying to smuggle two used crack pipes into the shelter, police said. "These people have been victimized once, so its our job and our responsibility to makesure they have a placeto slep and live in peace," Sullivan said. He said he believes the problems arise from a small group of repeat offenders. "everybody doesn't alwayswork and play nice together." As fo El-Muhammads allegations of racial discrimination, Sullivan said they werecompletely "off-base." "He's free to feel and say whatever he wants, but that has nothing to do with the issues," sullivan said. "The fact is that we are spending a great deal of time, effort, and money(on helping the evacuees), and the people of Alton have been very generous." El-Muhammad did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment Thursday. Officials project that the last evacuee will leave the center in November.
What??? a honkey cant be a volunteer?
as for the fighting and drug use they shouldn't arrest them. they should get a oneway bus ticket back to NO
That's what happens when you support people for so long, they come to expect it. How many of them will have to file for unemployment? I bet I can guess.
__________________
Future DNC Message - From this point, all illegal aliens will be referred to Unregistered Democrats.
state probes evacuees' complaints
