With the number of discarded needle calls to the City of Moncton, they’ve decided to take a new approach.
Nine community officers have now been trained and given the equipment to complete the task of picking them up.
Director of Community Safety and Moncton Fire Chief Conrad Landry said that efforts will continues to try and educate the public about proper disposal.
“It’s very dangerous for our kids and any citizens. I don’t have any stats to say if it is increasing or not, but there is a lot out there and we felt this is a service that the city could offer,” added Landry.
Discarded needles spotted on public property or trails can be reported by phone, email or online.
Landry noted, “If you find a discarded needle outside and you’re not comfortable picking it up, then we will send an officer. It could take a few hours, they are busy but as long as they have the address then they’ll get it done. Call the by-law department, or email the portal because you can add a picture if you want. If you have a picture and some landmarks, then we know exactly where to go.”
Other municipal departments such as Parks and Public Works will continue to assist by picking-up and discarding needles found during their daily operations.
Existing needle drop-off locations will remain active and available to the public.
In addition to the locations already in place, the City is exploring additional options for needle drop-offs at other Fire Stations throughout the City.
(Photo: From the City of Moncton)
“We made the decision to have our Community Officers access both public and private property to cope with the matter,” stated Landry. “Any time we access private property, we will attempt to gain permission from the resident first, however if contact can’t be made, we will pick-up the needle in the interest of public safety as the community is working on collective solutions to help resolve this challenge.”
A volunteer group called Needle Awareness was previously utilized by the City to pick-up the needles.
“We fully support Community Officers taking over the program. We are satisfied with the partnership we had with the city and are proud of the service we provided to our community,” said Denise Ouellette, a member of Needle Awareness. “As residents, we wanted to make a difference and we have, but for now, more people are needed to bring it under control.”
