Republican View: Recent revelations regarding 2023 murder shed light on city’s homelessness and drug problems

On the 19th of May, the New York Times published an extensive story about the murder of Thomas Rath. Rath was kidnapped from “Jungle 2,” a drug encampment behind Lowes, on May 20, 2023. One day before the anniversary of his kidnapping, what were rumors of Rath’s prolonged torture, some of it recorded on video, were confirmed to be true. The story described Rath’s descent into methamphetamine addiction, the driving factor in the breakdown of his life and his ending up in Ithaca’s Jungle.

Rath’s death has now drawn national attention, an anomaly for deaths in the area, which often occur without recognition by even local media. One of these deaths occurred on the 9th of May, in an area the City of Ithaca has designated the “Exception Zone,” formerly Jungle 3, behind Walmart. While there has been no official statement on this death, first responder dispatch audio indicates it was likely an overdose and a clear “10-79.” This radio code, a call for the coroner, has been broadcast from the Jungle many times over the last few years. These 10-79 calls are mercifully less frequent than ones about assault, overdose, and theft.

Methamphetamine casts a long shadow over Ithaca. Recent press releases from the Sheriff have described numerous arrests for possession of meth, packaged for sale, often by people in possession of firearms. Meth dealers serve meth users. It is a drug that hollows people out, destroying both body and mind. The erratic behavior induced in meth users, meth psychosis, often closely resembles that of acute paranoid schizophrenia. Public displays of this phenomenon now occur frequently in Ithaca, with disruptions caused by aggressive meth users occurring at Wegmans, Walmart, and other Westside businesses. Much of this activity emanates from Jungle 2 behind Lowes.

Ithaca City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff has made it clear the City has no intention of clearing Jungle 2 anytime soon. In an email regarding Jungle 2,  Mohlenhoff wrote, “We can begin to work on a coordinated response to long-standing encampments in lightly managed areas when we have more options for housing for those who will be displaced and more coordination around the outreach and support services available to transition people to housing.”

This pretense for inaction is rooted in “Housing First,” which prioritizes housing before other services such as drug or mental health treatment. It is a philosophy of death that results in people succumbing to fatal overdoses on city land, or behind closed doors at apartments in places like the Arthaus, and soon, the new Asteri building on Green Street next to City Hall.

Mohlenhoff’s refusal to utilize her authority as City Manager hinges on the supposed necessity of hiring an “Encampment Response Coordinator” to orchestrate services for those who reside in the encampments. The plan for this hire has met with resistance from members of the Common Council and is far from a certain proposition. In the meantime, people continue to die.

The county needs to issue another Notice of Violation to the City of Ithaca for the environmental contamination at Jungle 2, in a manner similar to what was recently done at Jungle 1 behind Agway. This would force the City to institute a plan to clear this lawless area of trash, syringes, and other debris that are spoiling the land. Deb Mohlenhoff is the City Manager and is vested with near-total authority in these matters. She is doing anything but managing this crisis. Mohlenhoff must act or step down.

The County Legislature is also discussing creating a “Low Barrier Shelter,” where sobriety from drugs and alcohol would not be a requirement. These types of shelters often become focal points of police activity, overdoses, drug dealing, and violence. This idea is also a product of “Housing First,” and suffers from the same failure of vision as the aborted Detox Center, which lacked on-site security, resulting in an inability to recruit nurses.

There is much that could be done alongside the clearing of Jungle 2.

There are $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds currently set aside with the goal of creating a Mental Health Stabilization Unit. This plan is currently stuck in the quagmire of planning and bureaucracy.

A secure psychiatric and drug rehabilitation facility should be established outside of the city limits. The county could also create a Methamphetamine Task Force to mirror the Opioid Task Force, with the specific goal of addressing the blight of meth on the community.

I have asked the Common Council and Legislature how many more people have to die before something is done. I wonder how many more people it is going to take. In light of the revelations about Rath’s death, continuing to do nothing is unconscionable.