There will soon be a new way to get needles and syringes cleaned up on public property.
On May 1, the City of Timmins is launching a new pilot project that will see public works staff pick up the items when people report areas of concern through Service Timmins.
“Discussions around safe needle pick up started last July,” said Meagan Baranyk, community programs manager, in a news release.
“Collection was being completed by several local agencies, but without specific funding or direction, it was sometimes case-by-case, and resulted in some confusion around who to call. Our pilot project will test the capacity of public works to carry out collection on public property, with Service Timmins coordinating response.”
Monday to Friday, people can call Service Timmins at 705-264-1331 or visit service.timmins.ca to report needles or syringes on public property that need to be picked up.
City staff cannot go on private property to clean up items. The collection is limited to weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Items reported on the weekend will be addressed on the next business day.
“Collaboration with local agencies and outreach will continue, to help address gaps in the collection schedule,” said Baranyk.
“This is a starting point. We will be collecting data around how many sharps are collected, from which areas, and how effective our response is. We are aware that the hours are limited; however, there is a commitment to monitoring and adjusting the hours as needed.”
