Salem residents are pushing back against a group home on Witch Meadow Road after a police say a man walked out and tried to break into neighbors' houses earlier this month.
Nicholas Brenner, 21, was arrested after he managed to leave the group home at 296 Witch Meadow Road and tried to violently break into four houses in the area, according to police. Investigators report he was unsupervised at the time and hadn't taken medications he needed.
Key Human Services owns and operates the group home under the state Department of Developmental Services.
"It's kind of nerve-wracking that I'm hearing these people keep getting out and these managers don't know about it," said neighbor Jennifer Labrie.
Labrie said her family even had a run-in with one of the residents when a man tried to enter their home. She says a call to DDS accomplished nothing and now she's afraid to let her kids outside.
"It's kind of scary. I want them to be able to play outside and not have to worry about people lurking in the woods," said Labrie.
The town first selectman hosed a public meeting Thursday night. Residents voiced their concerns to town leaders, DDS and Key Human Services. They went looking for resolution but say none was reached.
"We got no answers. I was really disappointed they didn't come in with a plan of action of what was going to happen next," said Labrie. "Our first selectman suggested shutting it down for six months. I don't think that's too much to ask for."
The problem is what would happen to the group home's residents. If the home closes, they'll be displaced.
Residents say they support the idea of having a group home in the area and that the problem is with management. They say residents of the group home are not being properly cared for, and if nothing changes, the situation could just get worse.
Residents say the first selectman told them he wants to have another public meeting discussing the situation in the near future.
Neither DDS, Key Human Services, nor the first selectman had returned requests for comment at the time of publication.
