State backs criminals and takes away pepper spray, non-lethal tools from Tewksbury Hospital security. Nurse says, “We feel abandoned.”

Last week the WBZ I-Team reported that the Department of Public Health was proposing taking away non-lethal tools from security officers at Tewksbury State Hospital. On Thursday it did just that. The decision came just months after the state trained and issued the security team the equipment. The increased security measures were implemented in the wake of an I-Team investigation that uncovered unsafe conditions and thousands of calls to police for help. Nurse says patients, staff at risk Ryan Wilkins is a registered nurse at Tewksbury State Hospital. “I think it’s incredibly unsafe and dangerous,” Wilkins told the I-Team, furious that the state is taking away tactical equipment from campus security. It’s a decision that he says is leaving the staff and patients vulnerable to serious injury. “We have a security force inside of our building that responds within seconds to our calls for help and to help intervene in behavioral situations,” Wilkins said. “We need their assistance, and we need them to be amply equipped to be able to do that job.” Tewksbury is a public hospital with a growing mental health population and treats some of the most dangerous and mentally ill patients.

Source: State takes away pepper spray, non-lethal tools from Tewksbury Hospital security. Nurse says, “We feel abandoned.” – CBS Boston

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