Parents are concerned about drug paraphernalia in HRM parks and splash pad

Families are avoiding a Dartmouth, N.S. splashpad after needles and other drug devices were found.

Parents in the Harbourview area of Dartmouth are joining together to protect their parks, splash pads and properties from drug paraphernalia, especially in the area around the Shirley Splash Pad.

Families say they used to have to rush to this splashpad to secure a picnic table but this summer many are just avoiding the space altogether.

“We have a naloxone kit in our park bag, because if she steps on something we just don’t know and it’s concerning,” says Ashley LeCroy, a mother that lives nearby to the Shirley Splash Pad.

LeCroy is pregnant with her second child and last summer her and her 3-year-old daughter spent most of the summer at the Shirley splash pad, but this year, not so much.

“We have used the splash pad a handful of times this summer and of the five times we have used it, I can say I have called the police four of those times to remove people who are actively using drugs on the space or come remove needles that are left on the splash pad,” says LeCroy.

The province says in a statement to CTV News that this is unacceptable and alarming.

“Community members must feel safe when they’re enjoying public spaces like parks, splash pads and playgrounds. Caring for public spaces is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play,” says Erica Parrill on behalf of the province in a statement.

The province adds that OSD works closely alongside their service providers in all they do and while their partners support those experiencing homelessness they are also committed to being “good neighbours and responding to community needs as they arise.”

The province says day to day management of parks and encampments rests with municipalities but that they continue to collaborate with the city on solutions to keep people safe and also address “the complex social issues, like homelessness and substance use, that contribute to these challenges.”

Those living nearby these parks say drug activity and criminal behaviours are increasing around them.

“We have operated with a lot of compassion as a community and then from the experts I have spoken to at all levels of government within housing organizations. They said they knew the bridge facility was never going to work. You know, congregating 200 people in one facility like that is a band-aid solution and now the band-aid is torn off,” says Jesse Sharrett, who lives near the Shirley Splash Pad.

He spends a lot of time out in his garden and his 3-year-old son enjoys watering the plants with him, but he worries about what his son may step on.

“I have found discarded needles in my garden and had to call 311. My son comes out here and wants to water the garden with me, so putting him in a situation where he might step on a needle, especially the Catherine Furness park. We have found people passed out inside the play structure, passed out on the slides. And there are needles discarded about,” says Sharrett.

While Halifax Regional Police were not available for an interview Wednesday, they provided a statement that officers conduct frequent patrols of this “busy area of Dartmouth.”

“We do not get very many calls to Shirley’s Splash Pad. As you reported yesterday, the best course of action is to call 311 if residents see any type of drug paraphernalia,” says Marla MacInnis with Halifax Regional Police in a statement to CTV News.

Janice Cook lives near this splash pad and says she keeps an eye out so her dog doesn’t step on anything.

“Everybody that lives around here has seen things and for me I safely remove it and if I see it, I remove it,” says Cook.

The splash pad is near a hotel the province turned into a shelter to house homeless and offer addiction treatment.

Mainline Needle exchange was also not available for an interview Wednesday but says in a statement that they have been conducting regular search and sweeps at Shirley Splashpad and the surrounding park since 2023.

“This summer we increased our searches there to twice a day in response to increased activity in the area,” says Jo Parker on behalf of Mainline Needle Exchange.

Parker says they pay someone to search the park every morning from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. and then again at 11 a.m. until noon.

“Some days they find nothing, some days ten or more needles. These searches are in addition to the ones the Bridge shelter conducts. This area is so busy, we know we can clean everything up and someone could come by a few minutes later and leave supplies behind,” adds Parker.

Many in the area feel the proximity to these shelters and encampments could be causing these problems for the neighbourhood.

They are hoping for a more permanent and long term housing and treatment plan for these individuals. But in the meantime many want more security around these spaces.

“We have a facebook group and everyday it seems to be, ‘oh my package has been stolen,’ ‘oh my patio furniture has been stolen,’ ‘my car was rifled through.’ And last week, a real escalation was smashing all the car windows,” says Sharrett.

The neighbours say many families used to have barbecues and picnics at the local park in their neighbourhood, the Catherine Furness park. But this has since stopped because of drug activity in this area as well.

“I probably phone the police at least twice a week for crime, people breaking into cars, active drug use in and around the parks,” says LeCroy.

The community wants solutions and wants to be able to use these spaces as safe spaces for their families.

“We are not looking to kick people out of the neighbourhood, I am not looking to close down shelters. I recognize that these are very important spaces for people and they need these services. But my tax dollars are funding these services, my tax dollars are funding these parks and I am losing on both ends,” says LeCroy.

Police say if people see criminal activity or drug use in the park report it to police. They say filing a report not only helps them respond to the incident at the moment, but helps determine areas that require more frequent patrols.

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