What to Do if You Find Hypodermic Needles in Concord

Today’s is Earth Day and many of you, like some of us, might be out and about cleaning up a local park, sweeping your sidewalk, or picking up random trash around your neighborhood.

But if you do this, be careful: Something people in Concord are seeing more of, of late, are used hypodermic needles in public school playgrounds, public parks, cemeteries, and other locations, “off the beaten path,” so to speak.

The needles and spoon with residue in the picture accompanying this article, as an example, were found two weeks ago near the cemetery fence across the street from Beaver Meadow Elementary School.

Police recently noted that heroin arrests in Concord have more than doubled in just a year with deaths across New Hampshire also nearly doubling. Public officials are now admitting that the heroin problem is epidemic. 

Lt. Timothy O’Malley of the Concord Police Department said that on occasion, they have received used needles from people who find them in the city. He advised, however, instead of picking up the needles and disposing of them yourself, it’s best to reach out to police so they can be properly disposed of.

“If you’re with little kids,” he said, “don’t touch them … and kids should always call an adult and then (those adults should) call police. Especially if you think drugs are involved, like heroin, you don’t want to be walking around with dirty needles.”

Many used needles may contain blood and/or some kind of communicative disease such as Hepatitis. Regardless of how minute the traces of heroin in the needle, people can also be arrested for having possession of the needles, even if they found them and are throwing them away. O’Malley was quick to also say that people wouldn’t get randomly arrested for doing the right thing, like cleaning up after junkies who are leaving their paraphernalia around the city. But he added that it was “probably better not to handle them unless there is an immediate reason to move them.”

It’s a safe presumption that any used needles found around the city were drug related since most insulin users are responsible and very conscientious to dispose of their needles, he said. 

Police, when they arrive, will be protected with Latex gloves and are trained to know how to store the needles so they don’t puncture or infect anything, he noted.

“They are meticulous,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley added that the department has been getting about a couple of calls a week to come and take care of needles and officers on the street are also finding “a lot more.”

To report needles found anywhere in the city, call the department at 603-225-8600.