Nevada City, CA — After a long night of drinking, area man Gill Bryant woke up groggy, confused, but mostly grateful for having slept in some sort of bed.
“When I’d get tanked on a weekday night, there’s no telling where I’d end up, or if I’d have enough blankets,” Mr. Bryant explained between fingerprint scans at the Nevada City Police Department. “Now I’ll always have somewhere to sleep it off. I mean, if I don’t wake up on Sugarloaf again.”
According to a flyer produced by The Coalition for Nevada City Drunks, or CNCD, from a period of one night to several weeks CNCD will assist people with getting back on their feet in this tough housing market by giving them a place to sleep, whether they like it or not. The program is aimed at the under-served drunk and disorderly portion of the population, but also has mechanisms in place to assist those who are just plain mouthy to the police.
Not Everyone Likes the New Program
Some area activists criticize the barrier for entry to this free government program for being too low. Cottage Street resident Melody Adams is one of them.
“It’s not fair that after midnight, any traffic violation qualifies you for a concrete slab and low thread count blanket on the tax payers dime,” says Ms. Adams while crookedly applying third WWJD sticker to the bumper of her Toyota Corolla. “I work hard for my duplex-close-to-town, and because I stay between the white and yellow lines when driving after dark, I’ll never get to partake in the program myself.”
According to a spokesperson for the Nevada City police, they doesn’t mind the late shift work, or the extra amenities added to holding cells.
“Without our escorts, these late night folks might end up sleeping in the bed of a stranger they picked up from the bar, or laying uncomfortably in their automobile seat that just won’t recline any further,” said police chief James “Jim” Leal. “We don’t need to see this kind of desperation in our city any longer. The program has been a great success so far, with three forced detainees already lodging with us this week. We feel good about this service to the community.”
