And.
Well, we're doing all right.
We'll show you how long the lines
are getting longer at Stewpot, 300
people at lunch for what may be the only hot
meal they get today.
Alcoholism is a problem shared by many
of those on the streets, on the street, I'd
say probably 70, 80 percent.
People have a problem with alcohol.
Now, that doesn't make them a classic
alcoholic, but at least alcohol is a problem
in their life. So probably 70 or 80 percent of
the people we deal with, one of every five
arrests made by Dallas police is for
public intoxication, 18000
last year, about half for one time.
Arrests, arrest from a relatively small
group of chronic public inebriates
who are arrested on a regular basis,
according to a major study by the city of
Dallas. The report, which will be presented
to Dallas City Council members on Wednesday, is
recommending ways to help.
Most significant, a treatment restitution
center for Chronic Public Inebriates at
the Old Plaza Hotel
Hotel was recently purchased by the county to
become a jail.
That idea is being applauded on the streets
where outside the Salvation Army's
detoxification program, little
is done to help alcoholics at the present
time. If we have a person going into
the 80s, there's nothing you can do about it,
even giving more wine or something
to help them over in the old Dupont Plaza
Hotel. Certainly not as fancy as one of those
privately run alcoholic treatment centers, but
those places have price tags, upwards of ten
thousand dollars or more per patient.
And many of those who are now involved in the
treatment of alcoholics say that detoxification
center like Dupont Plaza would certainly be
preferable to putting people in jail.
Bob Leder, Channel 5 News, Dallas.