Crime & Safety

Medical Emergency at Rumson Oxford House: Injunction Sought to Shut it Down

Council meets at 4:30 p.m.


A second medical emergency early Tuesday morning at the Rumson Oxford House substance abuse rehab facility has left Police Chief Scott Paterson "frustrated with the ongoing circumstances" surrounding it and officials ready to file an injunction to have the house shut down.
 
Mayor John Ekdahl confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that, yes, the borough is seeking the injunction. The matter will be discussed more at the council meeting at 4:30 p.m.

Though this incident did not result in death, the chief said, it was an emergency that drew an angst-ridden response from neighbors who have not been pleased with the house's location and/or operation since its inception.

"I hope that very soon some sort of resolution can be reached that will satisfy all parties concerned," Paterson said.

At about 5:30 a.m., a 9-1-1 call came in requesting emergency first aid assistance for an unresponsive male at the 61 South Ward Avenue address, Paterson said. It was not a police matter, the chief added, so the only information he can offer is that "by the time the person was being transported out of the house" and to the hospital, "he was conscious and alert."

Since the incident was solely a medical one, Paterson said police had no authority to treat it as anything but that.

In October, a 25-year-old man from Holmdel died in the house. Residents of the West Park section neighboring it have been up in arms since, due to what they've dubbed "sneaky" operations at the Oxford facility.

Unbeknownst to those who live nearby in West Park, the then nine inhabitants moved into the house in August. Since the death, a live-in mentor was assigned to the house and there are now six rather than nine residents. Neighbors complained that they should have been noticed of its existence. There is no requirement by law to do such a thing.

The cause of death of the 25-year-old has not yet been revealed. The matter is under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the county medical examiner was slated to complete an autopsy. But neighbors of the facility have presumed, wrong or right, that the death was due to a drug overdose.

Such homes are permitted uses in any residential area. The inhabitants are considered a family. And, the existence of the self-run rehab homes are is protected by state statute and American Disabilities Act (ADA) protocol. Recently, Oxford House representatives came to Rumson to address concerns in a forum at St. George's-by-the-Sea Church.

The take-away from that meeting was that while many residents left unsatisfied with what they heard, Oxford representatives were looking into the possibility of performing background checks on residents who want to live in the house the results of which would be kept on file with Paterson and police only.

Oxford representatives at the time did not know if it would be legal or acceptable to do such a thing. It may be viewed as a form of discrimination, they said, since the residents of these homes are considered residents of the town in which they live, just like anyone else and when people move into any town, they are not subject to background checks as a prerequisite for residency.




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