Police Must Make Multiple Attempts Before DEA Acts

Unless otherwise noted, information about the following incidents was supplied by the Narragansett Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

According to police, the apartment of a local elderly man was condemned and he was finally removed from the residence, after repeated calls to the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs.

Police said at about 4:05 p.m. on June 5, they received a call of an elderly man in his 80s possible urinating in a bucket outside of his residence on South Pier Road.

According to police, patrolman Justin J. Hoffman investigated, and found that the man’s apartment was covered in feces and urine. He also noted that there was almost no food in the apartment, and that there were buckets of urine in the apartment.

However, the man refused assistance, and told police that his family was checking in on him. Hoffman said he called a family member, who told them that the man had refused any treatment or help for his living conditions.

At about 6:30 p.m., Hoffman called Narragansett Building Inspector Tony Santilli, who told police he would coordinate with the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs and the Narragansett Community Police Division to inspect the home.

Police said that at 9:22 a.m. on June 6, patrolman John A. Silveira called DEA to get a status update. DEA requested a fax of the police report from June 5, which police said they sent at 9:30 a.m.

According to Silveira, they received a call from the man’s family member at about 12:45 p.m. The family member told police that the company who deliver the man’s oxygen tanks told the VA Hospital that the man appeared to be confused, and his oxygen tank lines were all tangled.

Silveira also noted that DEA had not called back from earlier in the day. As a result, he called again at 1:04 p.m., since it appeared that the man’s health was in danger.

According to Silveira, the DEA worker that answered – identified in reports as “Donna” with no last name – said they had not gotten the initial fax.

Silveira said he re-sent the fax, although he noted that it did appear that the initial fax went through. When he asked if the man would receive help today, noting the poor state of his health and living conditions, Donna told him, “Usually.”

As Silveira went off duty at 2:30 p.m., he noted that he had not heard from DEA. At about 3:15 p.m., Hoffman was leaving active duty for the day, and notified Lt. Thomas Mahoney of the case.

Mahoney said he called DEA at 4 p.m. for a status report, and was finally called back at 4:30 p.m.

According to police, this was a different worker from earlier. Identified in reports as Diana Wilkins, she did not have any information on the status of the man’s case.

She called Mahoney back again at 5 p.m. for more information, and at 5:30 p.m. told him that a case on the man had been opened.

However, at about 6 p.m., the man called 911 to request oxygen. At this point, the Narragansett Fire Department transported him to South County Hospital for treatment.

At 8:30 p.m., Santilli investigated and condemned the apartment, with Mahoney and patrolman Daniel A. Sorice assisting. Condemnation notices were posted at the front and rear entrances.

At 9 p.m., the family member arrived at South County Hospital, and told police she would make arrangements to document the apartment, so that the man could be transported to a VA hospital for more extensive treatment.

Wilkins also arrived, between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., to document the scene.