Minnesota Town Seeks Legislation on Concentration of Group Homes

BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Sometimes the calls come multiple times a day.
A resident with physical or developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries has wandered away from a group home for adults, and the staff asks Burnsville police to find the missing person.
"We might get three or four calls the same day on the same person," Police Chief Bob Hawkins said. "It really started to drain our resources."
The challenges with adult group homes, also known as adult foster homes, came to the fore as the city discussed its 2012 budget. Hawkins, who stressed that the police work to keep everyone safe, pointed to increased calls to group homes for things that could be handled differently -- for example, when residents are angry with one another or staff members, or false reports, neighbors' complaints about loud music or repeated calls about people leaving the facility.