Poll: Are You For Or Against The White Plains Detox Facility?

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The proposed Sunrise Detox Center at 37 DeKalb Ave. has drawn the ire of many White Plains residents – with one opponent of the project likening it to placing a nuclear facility at the location.

More than 25 residents voiced their concerns Monday during a White Plains Common Council meeting, with safety being the No. 1 issue.

“These people are in a highly volatile state,” said Ken Kristal, a member of the Carhart Association. “They’re in a desperate state and they are aggressive.”

Many residents of Carhart, a 1,700-person community, have opposed the facility.

Clients at the short-term, medically supervised detoxification treatment facility would stay for an average of 5.7 days, said Sunrise Detox CEO Linda Burns at the meeting. She said all three facilities operated by Sunrise are controlled, have limited access with alarmed doors, cameras and tracking every half hour to notice happenings and trends within the facility.

Burns told Council member David Buchwald that, "To our knowledge, no patient or staff member of Sunrise has ever harmed or committed crimes in the communities that we are currently operating while under our care.”

However, criminologist Frank Pezzella, also an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, presented the Common Council with police reports from two of the three cities where Sunrise facilities are located, which include incidents of assaults, disturbances, missing persons, suicide attempts, larcenies and car crashes.

Mayor Thomas Roach and the Common Council adjourned the public hearing until its next meeting on Nov. 5. It is not known when a decision will be made on the facility.

Do you believe that the Sunrise Detox application to the city for a special permit and site plan should be approved? Vote in our poll and comment why you are for or against the Sunrise Detox Center. 

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