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2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
SUBJECT: Sharps Hotline Success
BY: Duluth Police Department Public Information Officer Ron Tinsley (218) 730-5722
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Media/Public Notification
CASE NO.:
INCIDENT DATE: 2/3/2017
INCIDENT TIME:
INCIDENT LOCATION: Duluth Area
After just seven months, a new project aimed at cleaning up dirty needles from parks and other public places is showing positive results. Last June, the Duluth Police Department partnered with multiple City Departments and local organizations to create an area Sharps Hotline.
Since the start of this program, the hotline has received 83 calls for service. This conservatively has saved 40 hours of police time, freeing up officers for other proactive police services in the community.
The project was in response to growing concerns of sharps being found in the public. Multiple departments within the City of Duluth worked together in partnership with several non-governmental organizations to combine resources to address the problem. Participating departments received training in the proper handling and disposal of sharps, and coordinated the clean-up response when calls were reported to the hotline.
The Sharps Hotline 218-730-4001 is available 24/7 to report needles found in our community.
The Duluth Police Department would like to thank our city and private agency partners for this service. The Duluth Fire Department; Duluth Public Works; Duluth Parks and Recreation; the Duluth Clean and Safe Team; Duluth Comfort Systems; Western Lake Superior Sanitary District and the Rural Aids Action Network.