North Richmond residents witnessing blatant drug use, defecation near injecting room
North Richmond residents who live near the suburb’s safe injecting room have shared their shocking experiences of witnessing drug use and public defecation, saying children are picking up syringes and seeing their neighbourhood “turn into a ghetto”.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Concerned residents who live near North Richmond’s safe injecting room say their neighbourhood is “being turned into a ghetto” as children pick up dirty syringes and people use drugs in public.
Hundreds gathered at the All Nations Hotel in Richmond on Wednesday night to suggest solutions for blatant drug use in the area, including more police and moving the controversial clinic.
Many shared stories of seeing discarded needles and vomit on the street, and people shooting up regularly.
SHOCKING MOMENT DRUG WORKER SHOOTS UP IN DRIVEWAY
DRUG OVERDOSES NEAR SAFE INJECTING ROOM ON RISE
HEROIN USERS DITCHING SAFE INJECTING ROOM
Jim Clarke, who lives nearby on Lennox Street, said he was concerned for the safety of his children.
“My son is seeing his suburb being turned into a ghetto right before his very eyes,” he said.
“I feel (the injecting room) is in the wrong location. There’s public defecation, threats, litter, syringes.
“There’s always been drug use in North Richmond — however, when you’re handing out free syringes … 24 hours, 7 days a week, of course that’s going to invite drug users from across the state to come here. A lot of locals feel threatened.”
Other residents said the drug problem was the same as it has always been, but had shifted to more populated and open areas.
A man from Abbotsford spoke of needing legal advice for when his kids picked up discarded needles.
He said his house had also been broken into and people would often pass out on his front lawn.
A woman at the meeting said a drug-affected person at a shopping centre flung a milk carton at her.
“We’ve saved lives (with the centre), but what about our lives?” she said.
Many people agreed the area was a “black hole” and said the area needed more police.
There were calls last night to shift the facility and many said its location, between a school and medical facility, was dangerous.
Witnesses have reported drug users shooting up in parks and alleyways since the opening of the facility at the North Richmond Community Health last July.
Locals also called for specialist groups to be out on the street in a bid to keep the area safe.
City of Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly called for residents to put forward ideas and solutions to the larger drug problem.
“I don’t think your voices are being heard enough,” Mr Jolly said.
Mr Jolly talked about joint police and medical programs overseas aimed at getting addicts off the streets.
Earlier this week, Cr Jolly said street outreach teams were needed to tackle the escalating scourge of public drug use in North Richmond.
Cr Jolly, who supported the trial of the supervised injecting centre, said more had to be done to counter street use.
ADDICTS OPT OUT OF INJECTING ROOM
POLICE FEARS ON RICHMOND DRUG INJECTION ROOM
“Yes, it’s saving the lives of users who use it, but only 50 per cent do,’’ he said.
The opening of the injection centre has led to the honey-pot effect, luring more heroin addicts to the neighbourhood but many are now not using the centre.
An extension to the North Richmond Community Health building will open mid-year and house the injection centre with 20 booths.
About 250 people inject at the centre every day and latest Department of Health figures from February showed that 650 overdoses had been managed safely.
‘Angels’: Hero Coles workers save mum’s life
A mother of three has opened up on how her life was saved after she suddenly collapsed while doing a routine supermarket shop.
Wildlife and traffic fears over music festival
Wildlife advocates fear a weekend music festival in central Victoria will endanger native animals including rescued joeys.