A Mott Haven man is making a passionate plea to get his neighborhood cleaned up and cleared of drugs.

Edwin Trujillo has dedicated his career to helping people with mental health and addiction issues. So when he says he saw his neighborhood transform into a hot bed for drugs, it became personal.

"I want to see these people get help. You know? These people got mothers and fathers and families who are infected, not affected, by their behavior, but infected as if they had caught a disease themselves," said Trujillo.

Trujillo snapped disturbing pictures of people slumped over outside of Saint Mary's Park this summer. He says this prompted him to write a letter and collect signatures from community members with a message to local politicians.

The spot where Trujillo snapped those photos was empty on Monday, and no needles were visible. He says the prevalence of drug use in and around that area is nothing new.

News 12 reached out to Councilwoman Diana Ayala's office. She says in part, "I allocate funding to various groups in the South Bronx to help drug users access treatment. Additionally, my office and the Department of Sanitation recently announced an expansion of the Environmental Police Unit to help combat syringe litter."

The NYPD added, "The Commanding Officer of the 40th Precinct is aware of the complaints and has increased and deployed extra resources to the area. Officers are also working with community partners to address the concerns."