Taunton mayor cites strain on safety services after call for shelter inspections
Jan 09, 2025
TAUNTON, Mass. (WPRI) — Once Taunton's only hotel, the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center has served as emergency shelter housing for years, but Mayor Shauna O’Connell said it has posed significant challenges.
The Clarion Hotel is among the locations slated for inspection following Gov. Maura Healey's order to review all state-run emergency shelters.
"We just ran the numbers. We have had about 97 fire calls, added in with police calls. That's about 200 calls total. It is a challenge and a strain on our public safety services," O'Connell told 12 News.
Although the state and the hotel fund a 24/7 police detail at the shelter, O’Connell supports Healey’s decision to conduct inspections.
"I'm glad that the governor is taking steps to do some more stringent check-ins on them, but the fact that they are there already is concerning," she said. "There are many women and children in these shelters, and we want to make sure that everyone is safe and secure."
MORE: Healey orders inspection of state-run shelters after drugs, AR-15 found
Healey’s directive to initiate comprehensive reviews of state-run shelters and their intake processes aims to prevent criminal activity and determine whether additional safeguards are needed.
"There's zero tolerance for criminal activity or bad actors within any of the shelter sites or state-sponsored sites," Healey said.
The decision follows the recent arrest of an undocumented immigrant who was reportedly found with more than $1 million worth of fentanyl and an AR-15 in his unit at the Quality Inn in Revere. He remains in state custody.
While Healey noted that most shelter residents comply with the rules, O’Connell believes the state needs to reevaluate certain policies.
"The state needs to look at the right-to-shelter law and ensure that we have Massachusetts residents in our shelters," O'Connell said.
REPORT: Massachusetts sees 74% increase in family homelessness
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