Used needles litter children's playground in Louisville's Portland neighborhood

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Used needles are being found on and around a children's playground in Louisville's Portland neighborhood.

Snapshots from the last two years show an overwhelming amount of used needles at the playground at LaPorte Park.

As a life-long resident of Portland, Terry Wright said the kids in the neighborhood are the number one priority. He's the man taking the photos and documenting what he's finding. He said families shouldn't be afraid that their children could get pricked by a dirty needle while playing.

Needles at the park 3.jpg — Needles at LaPorte Park. (Photo by Terry Wright)

Wright said sometimes there are 20-30 of them on the ground.

"It's heartbreaking, it's terrible," Wright said.

His young granddaughter has even picked up a syringe and ran to show him.

"Think about that," Wright said. "She's 4 years old. No idea what it was, she was showing me."

Ben Goldman, a community health administrator with Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, said when they're made aware of a problem they will send staff to clean up the needles.

"Nobody should have to see a syringe in their community, especially not at a park or playground where they bring their kids," Goldman said.

Goldman said their Harm Reduction Outreach Service sites accept hundreds of thousands of used syringes every year.

"But we recognize that hasn't gotten all of the syringes out of the community," Goldman said. "We haven't been able to address the problem."

Wright said he wants one of the syringe service mobile sites, which is about a quarter mile from the park, out of the neighborhood.

According to the health department, if a person comes to a mobile site or the health department, they can get new clean needles, without bringing in their old ones.

"We don't want to turn that person away," Goldman said. "We want to make sure that person has access to sterile syringes to prevent the transmission of disease."

To combat the problem at LaPorte Park, the health department plans to install a large syringe disposal box like the one in Portland Park.

But Wright believes that will only make the problem worse.

"We don't want the box here," Wright said. "It brings them here. You see what I'm saying. It brings them here. And no. You don't need an excuse to come down here, with your drugs and your paraphernalia."

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness said it's unclear when the syringe box will be installed. Cement will first need to be poured to anchor it to the ground.

For more information on harm reduction and what to do if you come across a needle click here. To report a syringe sighting you can also call 574-8800.

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