Cape man says police weren't quick enough to pick up used needles

YARMOUTH, Mass. — UPDATE: After reviewing dispatch recordings of the phone calls it was determined that the man offered to pick up the needles.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Yarmouth man tells Boston 25 News police didn't respond in a timely manner after he found used needles on Long Pond Road.

Josh Joaquim said he found the needles Tuesday and immediately called police. He says they stated they would take care of the problem.

“Anything could have happened. A 9-year-old could have walked by and found them,” he said.

Joaquim says when police didn't show up, he put in a second call. He claims at that point the dispatcher told him the officers were busy and the needles should be put in a tin can then thrown in a dumpster.

Josh was reluctant to touch the needles.

“I don't know what anybody has they could have AIDS, hepatitis. It's kind of like playing Russian roulette,” he said.

Yarmouth Deputy Police Chief Steven Xiarhos said it's an unfortunate fact that discarded needle calls are becoming more common in many communities.

But, Xiarhos told Boston 25 News, “we, of course, handle any and all calls and when it comes to these dangerous needles we use options such as the fire department, our highway department and our police officers to properly pick them up."

Eventually the needles were picked up, Joaquim said, but he was disappointed it took so long.

“Four hours to come pick up three needles, which is really only a ten-minute job. The fire department is five minutes up the road,” he said.

The deputy chief says it does seem somewhat strange and suspicious that this resident had to call police three times. He says they'll have to review the dispatch recordings to get the actual facts. But he says police would never expect private citizens to pick up discarded needles.

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