Mount Hope residents fed up with used needles

<p>A bucket of used needles and syringes sat among piles of garbage Friday amid residential buildings off the Grand Concourse in Mount Hope.</p>

News 12 Staff

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Aug 31, 2018, 10:26 PM

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Updated 2,072 days ago

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UPDATE - 9/4/2018: The DSNY says the area has been cleaned and cleared of syringes. The department also says residents who see a loose syringe on a city street or sidewalk can call 311. Initial reporting below:

A bucket of used needles and syringes sat among piles of garbage Friday amid residential buildings off the Grand Concourse in Mount Hope.

Residents say they're fed up with looking out their windows and seeing such paraphernalia daily.

While News 12's Michelle Ross was conducting an interview, one man, who residents say sleeps in the area, went over and placed a plastic bag over a bucket of needles.

Sidney Flores is known as the go-to person when something in the community needs to be corrected. Many residents have voiced to him their frustrations.

"Property owners and businesses are responsible for keeping their sidewalks clean, and must clean the sidewalks and gutters next to their property, including 18 inches from the curb into the street. The Department of Sanitation cleans city streets," a DSNY spokesperson said in a statement.

Residents say the situation has only grown worse. They've seen more people huddling up in one spot when it gets dark out, despite there being two lamp posts shining light on the area.