Tracy Press

Sometimes, a letter-writer reminds police, what looks like drunkenness can be the sign of a health condition.

EDITOR,

Is our police department learning from past mistakes? On Monday, the Tracy Press reported that Herbert McCrory was found staggering outside the police department, which he might also do because of his issues with high blood pressure. The article says, “His caretakers were concerned, because McCrory has high blood pressure and gets disoriented when he’s in unfamiliar surroundings.” He was released from San Joaquin County Jail and not found for two days.

McCrory needs one of those Medic Alert bracelets, and the police need to look there first instead of assuming someone is drunk. This same kind of thing resulted in a death some time back when a Tracy man who had a similar issue (and was not drunk) was arrested and released and wandered off, not knowing to call anyone for a ride at 2 a.m. This person walked away from the jail and was found dead in a field within a couple of days.

How many of these deaths do we need to happen before Medic Alert bracelets are used to identify health issues as causing what seems to be drunken behavior? Thankfully, McCrory was found in time. With a Medic Alert bracelet, an arrest might have been prevented and, most especially, his caretakers could have been notified that he needed a ride, instead of being to wander the fields in the countryside, defenseless and exposed to the elements.

— Deborah Littleton, Tracy

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written by sar , March 12, 2008

Deborah, you are so right on it. DMV should issue the "Medic Alert" identifiers to all "Disabled" who qualify. these things aren't cheap and I believe that's why most don't wear one.

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written by truth , March 12, 2008

Deborah,
with all due respect, your assumption that the "police assumed someone was drunk" is way off mark. Many of the "facts" in the article were wrong. If the cops respond to a report of a drunk man, find him passed out on the sidewalk (not in front of the station), smell the alcohol from a good distance and the even throws up in the back of the car, it's more than an assumption. The guy IS drunk.

Your thoughts are well-meaning, but let's get it straight: you can't blame the police if a guy drinks against the advice of his doctor and refuses to wear a medical alert bracelet.

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written by Deborah , March 13, 2008

One shouldn't have to run down to the police station and assume that the Tracy Press was in error to be able write a letter to the editor. The article didn't say anything about this person being passed out on the sidewalk. The same kind of thing happened a couple of years ago, as stated, and he was picked up as he'd wandered from his home. It was assumed that he was drunk, and he was released without the county police department figuring out that this guy didn't know to call for a ride. History repeats itself if we don't learn from the past.

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written by Jerry , March 14, 2008

If there is a medical issue with a prisoner, he/she has to be medically cleared before he/she is incarcerated. This is 1) obviously for the safety of the prisoner and 2)for liability reasons.

I never read the original article, but to echo what Truth was alluding to, if someone doesn't want to be responsible for their own actions and drinks to the point of passing out, then the medical issue is secondary. He needs to address his drinking and/or drug issue(s) first.

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written by Truth , March 14, 2008

Deborah,
the point is any lesson you can talk about does not apply here. On top of that, the accuracy of the article has no bearing on this situation, either. The guy WAS drunk. Drunk, passed-out-in-public people go to jail. Is there a part I'm missing here? If not, I have a hard time blaming the officers for doing their job.
Please send your apology to City of Tracy, attn: Tracy PD

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written by blame the right people , March 15, 2008

Deborah,
Why do you act like an expert on this topic because you read an article? Maybe 'Truth' knows more about the story than you do because they work in a job that had contact with this guy during his arrest or they are a friend of someone who was involved. Don't assume you know more than others on this site.

Anyone picked up for being drunk, as stated by someone else, has to be cleared medically before accepted at the jail to the drunk tank, so you would need to rant about the health care workers at the jail as well.

Oh and counties don't have police departments, they have sheriffs.

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written by maybenotdumBcommenT , March 25, 2008

Deborah likes to dig at the police when she can, or the city employees in general.