12-year-old’s picture explains how to handle dirty syringes

Bothell Police Captain Mike Johnson was at a recent public event when a woman walked up to him to share a drawing that her daughter created.

“Daisy is a 12-year-old girl who was kind enough to draw up a picture. It was presented to me at an event that we had by her mother,” Johnson said. “She said her daughter wanted to share this picture with you about what she can tell other kids if they find needles in parks. We thought it was a great picture.”

“Of course, we recognized the tragedy that this is,” he said. “That we have to put this out there and a 12-year-old girl has this on her mind enough to draw a picture to explain to other people about what to do.”

RELATED: Snohomish County preps residents with dirty needle kits

Daisy suggests three steps for children to follow in her “SHARPS in the Parks” drawing:

• 1. Don’t touch it. You can get a disease.
• 2. Mark it. Cover it with a bucket or anything that can mark it.
• 3. Call 911 to report where the syringe is.

A 12-year-old girl named Daisy drew this picture explaining what to do if a kid finds a dirty needle in a park. (Bothell Police Department)

The Bothell Police Department tweeted the drawing out as part of a regional effort to tackle the mounting problem with dirty, discarded syringes in Snohomish County. Bothell straddles both King and Snohomish counties.

Snohomish County is now handing out free needle cleanup kits for residents to use in public places, or if they find a syringe on private property. The Bothell Police Department is one location residents can bring found dirty syringes to.

Other locations you can drop off used syringes: the Arlington Police Department; Everett City Hall; Granite Falls Police Department; Lynnwood City Hall; Monroe Police Department; Sheriff’s Office’s South, North, and East precincts; Sultan Police Department; Snohomish Health District; Snohomish Police Department; and the Stanwood Police Department.

“It’s a sad and unfortunate set of circumstances we find ourselves in; in the region,” Johnson said. “There are discarded needles and drug paraphernalia found in school playgrounds, ball fields, parks, and along the sidewalks. Many police departments in the region report about kids or parents coming across drug paraphernalia. And as we head into the summer months we thought it would be prudent to remind parents to talk with their kids about what to do if they find SHARPS, drug paraphernalia, or other things in the parks.”

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