Published: June 13, 2009 11:58 pm      

MARREN: Staffing levels were unacceptable at group home

This week was not one that anyone in Lockport — especially us here at the newspaper — would have ever wanted or wished for or even expected. Just the constant flow of horrible news made me sick, as I’m sure it did many of you. I can’t speak for everyone else here, but I’d assume they felt the same.

On Monday night, youth counselor Renee Greco, just 24 years old, was allegedly murdered. Bludgeoned to death by two teenage boys she was working with. Anthony J. Allen, 18, and Robert J. Thousand, 17, both of Rochester, are being held. They will be in court tomorrow.

Wednesday, we found out that two local parents have each been charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide in the 15-month investigation into the death of their infant daughter. Lethal levels of morphine — for an adult, mind you — were found in Sierra Doxey’s system. Nicholas Doxey, is being held and Sara E. Nigro was released. There’s a court date in August.

But the Renee Greco slaying has been on my mind all week. I never met her, but we had mutual friends, according to Facebook. I had a chance to read some comments from friends and family we contacted through Facebook and was touched by what they had to say. The bad part of this job is the heartache you’re exposed to on a near-daily basis, but the positive that comes from those who knew the subject of your sad stories is always uplifting.

Mixed up in all of the terrible news this week is still the question that revolves around the Greco slaying: why one counselor — man or woman, I don’t care — to six residents in a home for troubled youth.

I’m not going to say Renee couldn’t handle herself, but it’s nuts to think that a 6 to 1 ratio is acceptable in a home like this. We’re not talking about the Boy Scouts or honor students here, we’re talking about “troubled youth.” And we really should be saying young men. At least in the case of the charged; an 18- and 17-year-old.

My thoughts on the whole thing: State Sen. George Maziarz and Assemblywoman Jane Corwin can’t expect an answer from OCFS or New Directions on staffing and youth placement requirements, because the state sets the standards. From everything we’ve reported and that I’ve heard, New Directions complies with a 6 to 1 ratio.

If there are questions to be posed, they should be from concerned residents to our state lawmakers on why that ratio is so low. I’m sure it hasn’t always been that low, but my guess is that state cutbacks drew the number down over the years. Statistics will probably show that there were probably days of 2 to 6 or 3 to 6.

It would be irresponsible to say that staff cuts lead to the slaying of Renee Greco, but if there’s a lesson to be learned and laws that should be changed because of her untimely death, it’s the staffing levels at homes like this.

I’ve had conversations with some who say this is the first major incident in 40 years, and it may be, but it just takes one to highlight a glaring error. One other thing I’d suggest is a sign in front of or on the facade of the building. So many people didn’t know it was there.

I’ve heard the “stigma” argument and how a sign would be against the idea of working these kids into a normal lifestyle outside the home, but I really don’t buy it. That home should be identified. Just put a sign up that says “Avenue House,” which is the name no one knew until this week. The identification doesn’t have to spell out anything about the residents within, but at least people could Google it and find out what Avenue House represents.

Staffing and identification of the home stuck with me this week and I’m sure with many of you as well. Neither will bring Renee back, but it’s what we do in response to this horrific incident that will be her legacy.

Tim Marren is the managing editor of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Contact him at Tim.Marren@lockportjournal.com or 439-9222.