Boston team cleans up more than 14,000 needles each week

CLEAN, BUT THIS PARK IS NEXT TO BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, CLEANUP COULD BE CONSTANT. >> YOU SEE A LOT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEPING UNDER THE TREES, URINATING ON THE TREES, SOMETIMES YOU SEE NEEDLES ON THE SIDEWALK. RHONDELLA: FRANKLIN SQUARE PARK AT WASHINGTON AND E NEWTON STREET HAS A LOVELY FOUNTAIN AND ATTRACTS DRUG USERS AND OTHER HIGH RISK POPULATIONS. >> IT IS DIFFERENT AT ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY I THINK. RHONDELLA: BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH OUTREACH WORKERS TEAMS COLLECT AROUND 14,000 NEEDLES A WEEK, AND THESE ARE THEY ONES COLLECTED AROUND THE CITY JUST SINCE TODAY’S LUNCH BREAK. THE MELENEA CASS OUTREACH COUNSELORS ARE ALSO CONSTANTLY INTERACTING. OFFERING RECOVERY RESOURCES. >> THEY ARE OUT ASKING PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE IN NEED OF SERVICES HOW THEY CAN HELP, IF THEY NEED A RIDE, WOULD LIKE TO GET ELECTED -- CONNECTED TO SERVICES PICKING UP SYRINGES AND NEEDLES. ,RHONDELLA: OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP FOUR WEEKS AGO ACCORDING TO THE BUREACH DIRECTOR OF RECOVERY SERVICES DID PUSHING THOSE WHO ABUSE SUBSTANCES INTO THIS SOUTH END PARK AND BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. >> YES, WE HAVE SEEN MORE PEOPLE SLEEPING IN PARK SINCE THAT OPERATION. RHONDELLA: IF YOU SEE A NEEDLE CALL 311 AND GIVE AS MUCH LOCATION DETAIL INFO AS POSSIBLE. >> I’M GLAD TO SEE THEY ARE BEING PICKED UP. RHONDELLA: THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION WANTS EVERYONE TO KNOW SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH. BLOCKS OF FREE EVENTS -- LOTS OF FREE EVENTS TO CONNECT YOU WITH

Boston officials say the city collects thousands of used needles each week. Those potentially hazardous sharps are collected by members of several teams, officials with Boston Public Health Commission explained. A team of four employees is assigned to pick up used syringes when they've been discarded like litter, for example. Another team made up of eight outreach workers collects the needles as they attempt to connect people to recovery services. Other needles are collected in drop-offs at the city’s needle exchange program, called AHOPE.By the BPHC's latest count, more than 14,000 syringes are collected each week. City data, however, seems to indicate that awareness of the problem is growing. Boston's 311 system, which has collected data on calls for needle pickups since 2015, shows the number of calls has grown significantly each year. So far in 2019, the database indicates 4,956 calls for needle pickup, exceeding the total of 4,654 calls from all of 2018. Those 311 data-points represent only calls for the service, not the number of needles reported or the number found by the clean-up team. Officials with the Boston Public Health Commission said the city plans to install 10 more kiosks for collecting used sharps, bringing the total in Boston to 18.September is National Recovery Month and the city is hosting several related events.

BOSTON —

Boston officials say the city collects thousands of used needles each week.

Those potentially hazardous sharps are collected by members of several teams, officials with Boston Public Health Commission explained. A team of four employees is assigned to pick up used syringes when they've been discarded like litter, for example. Another team made up of eight outreach workers collects the needles as they attempt to connect people to recovery services.

Other needles are collected in drop-offs at the city’s needle exchange program, called AHOPE.

By the BPHC's latest count, more than 14,000 syringes are collected each week.

City data, however, seems to indicate that awareness of the problem is growing.

Boston's 311 system, which has collected data on calls for needle pickups since 2015, shows the number of calls has grown significantly each year. So far in 2019, the database indicates 4,956 calls for needle pickup, exceeding the total of 4,654 calls from all of 2018.

Those 311 data-points represent only calls for the service, not the number of needles reported or the number found by the clean-up team.

Officials with the Boston Public Health Commission said the city plans to install 10 more kiosks for collecting used sharps, bringing the total in Boston to 18.

September is National Recovery Month and the city is hosting several related events.

Boston team cleans up more than 14,000 needles each week

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