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Council hears concern about hypodermic-needle hotspots; police say narcotics plan is in preparation
Summary
Council members flagged a cluster of discarded needles on Bailey Avenue and at other sites; Lieutenant Trembley said repositories exist but the department is preparing a narcotics plan, increasing patrols and tracking data to measure responses.
Council members raised alarm about a "sizable number" of discarded hypodermic needles reported on Bailey Avenue and other city locations during the March 20 work session.
One council member asked the police for explanation and possible remedies. Lieutenant Trembley, of the Plattsburgh Police Department, said the department is compiling data and preparing a narcotics plan to target identified hot spots. "The narcotics plan is in preparation," he said.
Trembley described steps underway: evaluating where caches of needles are found, placing and maintaining disposal repositories in several locations, and increasing visible patrols. He said repositories are in some parts of the city — such as the beach — but that repositories alone have not eliminated the caches. "Deterrence and being visible is one of the greatest and strongest deterrents," Trembley said when asked whether officers perform foot patrols.
Council members noted concern about needles near a school and in public sand at the city beach and pressed for metrics to measure effectiveness. Trembley said the department is collecting data, discussing quarterly or semiannual reviews of trends and planning responses to measure whether interventions are reducing occurrences.
He also said declines in fatal overdoses do not necessarily mean drug use has declined, noting that expanded Narcan availability may reduce fatalities while nonfatal overdoses remain underreported. The work session included requests that police continue to refine repositories, allocate patrol resources and share updates on the forthcoming narcotics plan.
No formal vote or new policy was taken at the session; staff said further reporting will come as the department refines the data and plan.
