By Christine de Kock
USED syringes left in a Maidstone car park have sparked calls for increased lighting and police vigilance by residents who live near the car park.
Gibb St resident Anh Vo said he was “disgusted” at the increased number of syringes left in the car park next to the Maidstone Community Centre.
“It is very disgusting because children play here all the time,” he said.
Mr Vo said he collected four discarded syringes last week.
He said drug sellers stationed themselves in the car park, and there was often loud talking among buyers and sellers in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Vo said as there were no streetlights over the car park, drug users were encouraged to use it for their own purposes.
He called on Maribyrnong council to increase lighting in the area and for police to patrol the area more often.
Mr Vo’s concerns were seconded by neighbour Thomas Weir.
“Yes, you find needles there and I’m concerned about my grandchildren who come around to visit me,” he said.
Mr Weir said people also dumped their rubbish in the car park.
Maribyrnong City Council community well being manager Jenny McMahon said the Gibb St car park was visited four times since 2004 to investigate community concerns about discarded syringes.
“(It) is not one of council’s identified areas with a high frequency of discarded syringes,” she said.
“Throughout years of research on drug prevention strategies, lighting alone has not been found to be effective in discouraging drug activity.
“We will continue to monitor the Gibb St car park and manage issues as they arise.”
Ms McMahon said the council had a full-time needle and syringe project officer to monitor and collect discarded syringes in public places.
“Our officer monitors identified areas regularly to collect discarded syringes,” she said.
“The officer also responds to community calls to collect syringes, made to council’s syringe collection hotline.”
The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 9688 0500.
