A hospital in Massachusetts has faced an alarming amount of violent violent attacks this month after officials ruled that hospital workers could no longer carry defensive weapons while at work. 

Tewksbury State Hospital recently saw a 45-year-old patient allegedly assault another patient with a sharp object after accusing him of stealing.

The patient, who on Tuesday faced an assault with a dangerous weapon charge, was in the Nicholas building, which hosts a second-step detox program. The patients were separated before police arrived, according to  Boston 25 News. 

Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus told the news outlet that the accused patient had 129 previous entries on his criminal record.  

The assault in the Nicholas building was the hospital's fourth violent assault in just three weeks. Since April 7, three hospital workers and one patient have been attacked. 

The string of violent attacks began with a 59-year-old patient allegedly hitting a staffer after becoming erratic. 

Less than a week later on April 12, a man visiting his brother was arrested for allegedly assaulting a pregnant employee by pushing a chair into her, according to Boston 25 News. 

Just three days after that, a patient hit a staffer twice in the face, police said. 

Concern for the safety of the hospital workers grew after the hospital made the decision to ban security from carrying handcuffs, pepper spray or batons in the building, ruling that the use of such defensive tools was inappropriate. 

'There is an epidemic of violence at this facility,' nurse Ryan Wilkins told the outlet. 

Wilkins, a union official, said that calls for a meeting between state leaders and workers at the hospital have been made but little movement has happened. 

'We largely feel that we've ben left out to dry here,' Wilkins said. 'It's disheartening, it's disappointing and it's scary altogether.' 

The Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement that patient and staff safety, as well as that of the Tewksbury community, is a 'top priority.'

'We appreciate our partnership and ongoing discussions with town officials, Tewksbury State Hospital leaders and union to make sure staff have an appropriate range of tools available to keep themselves and other safe,' the statement continued. 

Wilkins also said that the decision to remove defensive weapons 'came down with no guidance for the frontline workers on how we should be responding.'

'We need to sit down with the state to come up with solutions and to receive some guidance on how we keep people safe and put an end to the violence that's occurring at the rate that it is,' Wilkins said. 

State officials, however, have said they are keeping the lines of communication open and noted that the hospital was one of the last to allow the use of defensive weapons. 

Democratic State Representative David Robertson told CBS News: 'It's a very real concern. My opinion on this is an absolute "no" to remove those tools. The nurses here, the front line care providers, they're not here for fame or fortune. They're here because their hearts are in the right place.' 

'There's no reason [why] we can't balance compassion with security concerns until these folks are fully rehabilitated,' Robertson added. 

Wilkins said that the violent attacks are increasing at a significant rate in the twelve years he has worked there. 

A public meeting took place on April 14 as the Tewksbury Select Board voted to seek advice on possible next steps from town counsel over the matter. 

Board member Mark Kratman told the Boston Herald the issues between the town and hospital are long standing and the decision to disallow defensive weapons has furthered a rift between the two. 

'We finally got to a place of trust, and in one vote, that trust has been gone. You worked very hard to get security cameras up there, training. They have an excellent security force up there... this one vote is very frustrating because at no time was the town of Tewksbury involved in this decision,' Kratman said. 

A petition has been created to reverse the decision and allow defensive tools back into the hospital, as well as calling for the implementation of 'comprehensive workplace violence preventative protocols.' 

Columbus also critiqued the decision, saying that it wasn't 'grounded in data and it does not reflect the realities faced on that campus every day.'

'The individuals working there encounter volatile, and, at time, dangerous situations and taking away critical tools only increases the risk to staff, patients and the broader community,' Columbus told the Herald. 

'I am currently working with the Executive Office of Public Safety in hopes that this policy will be fully reviewed and ultimately reversed. This is not something I will let go, I will continue to advocate strongly for the safety of everyone involved.'

Columbus added that, while the Department of Public Health 'has a very important mission,' its focus should not fall on security measures which 'fall outside their scope.'

Town manager John Curran called the decision a 'very big step back' and a 'serious oversight.'

'I attribute it to two things,' Curran began. 'One is a lack of communication from the state to the town about these changes. We were in a virtual meeting and they communicated that they sent a letter to the Tewksbury leadership, and what they were referring to was just inside the hospital, not outside the hospital.'

Wilkins told the Herald: 'The state's ongoing failure to engage with our union and the frontline staff to address these conditions and the resulting workplace violence has left the staff feeling demoralized and unsafe, causing many staff to consider leave Tewksbury State Hospital, taking with them their years of experience and exacerbating the staffing crisis at this hospital.'  

An official with Executive Office of Health and Human Services said at the meeting that de-escalation, communication and conflict resolution are prioritized, but that there was no policy against physical intervention. 

Ryan DiPeitro, a sergeant in the Department of Public Safety in the hospital, told the Herald: 'This policy change will create negative outcomes to staff, patients, visitors and the greater community.'

The Daily Mail reached out to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Massachusetts Nurse Association for comment.