Cambridge dealing with needle issue, over 600 picked up Sunday
Posted Oct 30, 2017 05:16:26 AM.
Last Updated Oct 30, 2017 05:20:41 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The city of Cambridge says concerns over its needle problem ring loud and clear.
At a community cleanup in East Galt this past weekend, city staff was there, as dozens of volunteers made their way through the St. Anne’s Elementary School area, the Elgin Street pedestrian tunnel and Soper Park, to pick up dirty needles and other drug debris lying on the ground.
Operations Manager for Parks and Recreation, Chris Ziemski, says City Hall recognized a need to provide safety training and equipment, as groups focused on cleanup quickly gained momentum.
“The community really wants to rally to take care of the issue. I think it’s spectacular to see these types of numbers coming out,” he says. “In conjunction with our work and contractor work as well, we’re hoping that we can try to keep this under decent control.”
Ziemski says the city also now has some staff dedicated to doing nothing more than patrolling the streets, parks and trails to collect and look for discarded needles.
“They’ll be tracking where they’re found. The numbers will be documented so that we can keep a good record how many we’re finding where and identify our hot zones,” says Ziemski. “They will be covering predominantly the downtown core area first … or any other calls that come through.”
Anyone interested in organizing a community cleanup is asked to call the City Hall offices.
