Needles found in Winnipeg neighbourhood worry residents

People in Winnipeg's Norwood Flats neighbourhood are worried after finding several syringes lying around.

Monica Whiteway found one near her house last week and said almost 10 needles have been found by six people in the past few weeks.

She is scared her young kids might come across the next one.

"My son is one of those kids who loves treasure and he could potentially bring it home and do harm to himself," she said.

Whiteway said police told her they recently busted a crack house on her street.

Anyone who finds a syringe is asked to call 311 immediately and the city will send someone to pick it up.

As well, Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said the police non-emergency line is also a good place to report the discovery so officers can investigate.

"Whether we're talking about HIV, whether we're talking about hepatitis, there are a lot of concerning factors at play here," he said.

Michalyshen stressed that you should never pick up a syringe unless you know how to dispose of it safely.