City of Victoria parks will soon have signs warning people to check for hazards such as syringes, after a spate of incidents in which people have been pricked by needles.
The signs — which say “Safely sweep before you play: Identify any hazards” — will be installed near every municipal playground, said City of Victoria spokesman Sheldon Johnson.
The first one was installed in Hollywood Park, where members of the public have complained about the grass being littered with needles. There are two tents in the park, about 50 metres from the playground.
Last week, Victoria parent Kim Brown emailed Victoria councillors and the Times Colonist, urging the city to post warning signs to protect park users.
The city said in a statement that the new signs have been planned since last year.
“Playgrounds should be safe spaces and we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can as a city to keep them that way,” the statement said.
“Sometimes hazards such as needles or broken glass are possible, and so it’s a good idea to do a quick check of the area before playing.”
This week, Sooke mother Jayna Forgie said her 15-year-old son was pricked in the back with a needle as he lay in the grass in Rutledge Park.
District of Saanich spokeswoman Kelsie McLeod said while the municipality does not have a specific plan to post signs about needles, “our staff are trained in proper disposal and they keep an eye out for needles or unsafe items when they are doing their work in parks.”
On Aug. 22, a man was pricked by an uncapped needle as he walked along the chip trail in Beacon Hill Park near Douglas Street and Avalon Road. Four City of Victoria workers have been pricked by needles this year, compared with three incidents last year, Johnson said.
This month, Victoria police issued warnings after at least two incidents in which uncapped syringes were taped in a way that could harm someone. One uncapped syringe was found taped to a bench in Centennial Square on Aug. 25. On Aug. 1, an uncapped needle with a small amount of blood in it was tied to a staircase handrail in Beacon Hill Park.
City of Victoria staff routinely sweep city property and parks for needles. There are 29 safe disposal boxes in Victoria that are checked multiple times a week and emptied regularly. The Downtown Victoria Business Association’s clean team picks up garbage and needles on private property in the downtown business area.
Several groups have teams that pick up discarded syringes, including the Downtown Victoria Business Association Clean Team, Aids Vancouver Island Mobile Harm Reduction Unit and SOLID.
— With files from Louise Dickson
