Brockton Police sweeping school grounds after needles found

BROCKTON, Mass. — Just weeks before school starts, needles continue to be a problem in Brockton.

Addicts are going to a playground to shoot up, just feet from Barrett Russell Elementary School.

Everyday Jair Cardoso works out near the elementary school and he said it’s no secret that it is a hotspot for heroin.

“Yeah, they go into the woods so nobody sees them,” Cardoso told FOX25.

Barrett Russell is a school for kindergarteners, with a playground and soccer fields only feet away.

As reported on FOX25 News at 4, on Thursday, the citizens group “Operation Arch Angels” performed a cleanup, and picked up around 10 needles near the school.

FOX25 discovered hypodermic needles at Russell Elementary Friday afternoon. One of them was on the school field and another in a sewer grate on the field as well. FOX25 also found plenty of needle wrappers, caps, straws, liquor bottles and condoms.

“It’s not acceptable for any school to have needles near it,” said Lt. Richard Lienhan with Brockton Police.

In March of this year, the mayor promised to take action after complaints from residents about finding needles. The town already has a "champion program" to help  those with addiction problems. In 2015, more than 100 people overdosed from heroin in the city.

As reported on FOX25 News at 4, Leinham said that there is plan to help clean the place up, which he described as a place addicts are going to seclude themselves.

“The custodians here at the schools, they’re going to be doing sweeps every morning at the school before the children even get on the property,” he said.

The kids go back to school Sept. 15.

Leinham said they’re doing everything they can to keep heroin addicts out of that park, including stepping up their presence.

Cox Media Group