4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS SHELTER FEBRUARY 23, 2024 Assault at Delonis Center challenges promise of safe overnight environment Naylor Dundee, 58, was sleeping at the Delonis overnight warming center when he was awakened with a punch to the face. It was 3 a.m., December 31, 2023. “I thought it was a dream, and that I was in a car accident. I had to open my eyes, or die. He used brass knuckles, hitting me two or three times. By the time one of the staff came over, I was already bloodied. “[Staff] called the ambulance. [Police] didn’t arrest him. He was taking a shower when I got in the ambulance. He stayed at the shelter that night, without trespass. “The police told me he was going to be arrested and then the police came to the hospital and talked to me. They tried to tell me that I didn’t want him arrested. “This same night, [AAPD] told me to wait to contact them again for two months. If they gave me a reason, I don’t remember. I didn’t do it, I waited to contact them again the next day. It felt like they wanted it to fall through the cracks. I know time is the enemy, especially when I wasn’t getting any help from the Delonis staff. “I asked one of my case workers, ‘Why hasn’t anyone representing the shelter said I’m sorry this happened to you?’ And when she told me that wouldn’t be happening, I filed a grievance. Nobody, still, has talked to me. “Delonis needs to be held accountable. They don’t want anyone to know about it. “I have a permanent stutter because of this. My face and body twitches. I need oral surgery. I don’t feel comfortable at all here [Ann Arbor]. Enough is enough.” Naylor struggles to speak in the interview. His balance is thrown off and he often falls simply standing up straight. I [Lindsay] observe bruises and lesions that Dundee attributes to recent falls post-assault. “This will affect every aspect of my life. And let’s be honest, it was already too much to handle. This has changed my life forever. I can’t play the piano anymore. I am a singer, and can’t do that anymore. Somebody has to pay for this. Something’s going on with my brain. “I only had known [the assailant] for three weeks. He’s never said anything to me. He never responded. I never thought he would do what he did. He could have killed me. “The Police Department was not LINDSAY CALKA Publisher responding either, so I had to take care of myself. I went to the courthouse and petitioned for them to get me a Personal Protective Order. By the time I called a lawyer, he said I had done everything I needed to do. “A safe environment is promised at the Delonis Center. It was not a safe environment.” When asked about the details of this assault, the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County could not speak to specific incidents involving clients due to confidentiality agreements. Groundcover News asked SAWC Executive Director Dan Kelly what efforts the shelter has made to reduce assaults and contribute to a safe environment for clients. He replied, “First off, we take all incidents of violence very seriously and restrict access for folks who commit violent behaviors — which often means trespassing them from the shelter. One of our top goals is to be a safe place, while still being low-barrier — regardless of [clients’] background, drug use … “We work very closely with local authorities [AAPD] and only want them in seriously violent situations. We have on-site security to help us respond. We have a proactive internal response system for health and safety — a health and safety coordinator and a mental health coordinator. To stop issues from happening in the future, all staff are trained on de-escalation, CPR, first aid, Narcan. “Another thing that we also take seriously is lifting restrictions. We use a community based model; we have a grievance committee of formerly homeless individuals and staff. “If the client has a grievance, they can file it, no matter what it is. Anonymously or not. Most of them are trespass lift requests. “The need is so high that we choose to not turn anyone away. We know Delonis Center is not big enough. There are too many people. We need space for more residential-style programs. “It's a balancing act. Having everything in one place sometimes can cause issues, and we see that in the winter. “We did plan for record numbers. We opened the off-site Ypsi location that is open seven days a week, and we are trying to add more, to have more space, more dignified space, more choice. I wish we had beds for everyone so we don’t need to have congregate shelter. “The men’s rotating program is a high barrier program. If we had more resources, we would have more sites that serve specialized groups — for recuperative care (only eight beds), women and people in recovery.” Nowadays, Naylor stays at the men’s overnight rotating shelter where he has found a more peaceful environment. This off-site shelter closes April 1.
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