‘Time bomb’: Residents living next to Phoenix rehab center are fed up, claim drug use is rampant

PHOENIX - People living in a central Phoenix neighborhood say the opioid crisis is on their doorstep.

Residents in the area say drug use and suspicious activity are linked to a nearby rehab facility.

Crossroads Detox Center.

Neighbors say they’re fed up about the drug use happening right outside their homes. They’ve reported the incidents to not only the police, but also the facility itself.

Now, the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) is investigating.

‘Drastic change’

Security at the Crossroads Detox Center told the FOX 10 crew to move as first responders were on the scene on a weekday, early in the morning. If you ask residents in the Loma Linda neighborhood, the emergency response is the new normal.

"I’ve been seeing a drastic change I would say in the last year," Mari Woods said.

Neighbors point to a specific activity they say needs to stop.

"The drug activity and the people in the neighborhood has increased exponentially," a neighbor named Dorri Thyden said. "It’s a ticking time bomb."

Security cameras capture plenty of activity – day and night.

Monti and Dorri Thyden live right across the street from Crossroads Detox Center.

The facility is located on Osborn Road near SR-51, licensed as a behavioral health inpatient facility.

The Thydens’ security camera points at the back of Crossroads, constantly monitoring activity. They even started a website dedicated to documenting the alleged issues.

"It’s affected my work. It’s affected my ability to do my job, but I literally have an iPad with this camera system up right underneath my screen pretty much all day," Monti said.

He's found drugs by his home, he says.

"So, these little gems were sitting there right on the sidewalk," he said looking at a photo, describing the aftermath of the alleged drug use outside.

"We found pills on the sidewalk, obviously found drug paraphernalia. We find burnt tin foils," Dorri said.

Cameras capture questionable activity

Here’s what their cameras have captured – we’ve concealed the faces of people who stop at this wall behind Crossroads.

A group, out in the open, using a mini bong.

A woman covers her head with a T-shirt after lighting something.

A man and woman using a straw to smoke some sort of substance.

A video shows an employee walking a woman back to the detox center after she’s done smoking.

Residents believe the activity is linked to the Crossroads facility.

"We had somebody at 3 a.m. try and use our hose in the front yard. We’ve had people knock on our door at 2, 3 in the morning asking for a blanket or asking to check into Crossroads," Dorri said.

So, what’s being done about the complaints?

"In the past, neighbors were told to reach out to Crossroads when they saw something and so that’s what they were doing, they weren’t calling the police," Dorri said.

‘We’re prepared to do what’s necessary’

So far in 2023, Phoenix Police received 33 calls for service to the 2000 block of East Osborn Road where Crossroads Detox Center is located. 

This year’s calls have already surpassed last year’s 21 calls for service. The calls consist of assaults, trespassing and suspicious persons.

As for calls to Phoenix Fire this year, there have been 67 calls, more than last year’s count of 53.

Data does show calls for overdoses, seizures and other illnesses.

The Thydens, however, believe the stats are vastly underreported.

"We don’t know what to do when somebody’s threatening to jump our fence because we ask them if they need help or can move and go to Crossroads," Dorri said.

Timothy A. La Sota represents the Thydens as they try to work with the city and the department of health.

"The Thydens and everyone else in the neighborhood has been made to bear the burden of this facility that has frankly done a very poor job policing its own activities and its own customers," says attorney, Timothy A. La Sota.

DHS says an on-site licensing survey was done last April, finding no deficiencies. But, now an investigation is underway.

The department says, "The department has opened an investigation into the complaints we received for Crossroads Detox. Due to the open investigation, we are not able to comment on the nature of the complaints or any potential rule violations."

DHS also says if non-compliance is identified, potential violations will be referred to the enforcement team for review.

La Sota says the current situation is a nuisance to the neighborhood and neighbors could file suit.

"We’re prepared to do what’s necessary to end this problem," La Sota said.

Questions remain

A statement from the city of Phoenix says it’s "actively engaging with community members to identify issues and develop solutions to address the activity in the vicinity of Crossroads Detox Facility."

Laura Pastor, councilwoman for District 4 says, "I continue to work with city staff and the community to discuss potential solutions for the Loma Linda neighborhood."

Mary Woods, a concerned neighbor, is pleading with those in charge of the facility to fix this.

"I wanna ask one question," she says. "The owner of the company, if they had children, what would they say and would they live across the street? What would they say if their daughter saw that? How do you explain that?"

Crossroads leadership declined an interview with FOX 10, but released a statement.

"In response to recent concerns regarding our detox facility in central Phoenix, we have increased security to 24 hours. 7 days a week on-site and added motion-activated video surveillance at the rear of the Crossroads facility facing the neighborhood. We continue to work closely with local law enforcement. If any neighbors encounter or observe anything that makes them uncomfortable, we encourage them to contact their local police department. They are always welcome to contact Crossroads at 602-263-5242," said the executive director of Crossroads, Chris Riley.

Dorri remains skeptical.

"We appreciate what that organization is trying to do," she said. "We question how they’re doing it and where they’re doing it."

The Thydens have been in contact with both the city of Phoenix and the state’s department of health.

After months of complaints, there has been more of a response, including the city’s planning and development department preparing a written statement to Crossroads regarding compliance with their use permit.