Take Back Santa Cruz

Needles in Public Spaces Report – March 2017

To:  Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz City Council

Please find the Take Back Santa Cruz Needles Solutions Team Needles in Public Spaces (NIPS) report attached.  This is a log of citizen reports of needles found in public spaces for the last 52 months. The log was created as a reference so that someone can use the data to:

Total NIPS Finds for Reporting Period 52

For reporting period 52 (3/9/2017-4/8/17), 239 needles found in public spaces were logged. This count includes citizen reports, community group reports and reports by City workers.  32 needles were found by citizens and community groups; the other 207 needles were found by City workers.  

 Eleventh Confirmed Needle Stick Injury

We have confirmed yet another needle stick injury.  In March, an elderly woman who was doing volunteer work was stuck with a needle when she was tending to the landscape at the lawn bowling area of San Lorenzo Park. 

 Significant Finds For Reporting Period 52 

 Hot Spot NIPS Locations for Reporting Periods 52:

 Needle Pick-Ups by City Workers vs. County Workers

Thank you to the County for its increased transparency, including posting its counts for needle pickups by its workers.  See: http://health.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Portals/7/Pdfs/SSP/2017Needles%20Found%20Report.pdf

However, given the fact that many of the discarded needles in our community are originating from the County’s SSP program, it seems inappropriate that the City of Santa Cruz continues to bear the bulk of the burden of needle clean-up.  The number of needles picked up by City workers far exceeds than those picked up by the County.

Overview of Last 52 months 

 Recommendations

 Best regards –  Needles Solutions Team
Attachments: NIPS workbook, City Parks & Rec needles log for March 2017, Photos

 

Exit mobile version