Syringe Found In Newly Opened Playground Sandbox

There's a concern when a public health issue related to children goes ignored by the New York City Parks Department. That property is under their jurisdiction." - Council member Vincent Ignizio

Great Kills resident Mike Daly holds a syringe that was found in sandbox in the Seaside Wildlife Nature Park. The Playground was opened just two weeks ago and parks users are already complaining about the lack of maintenance and security personnel. (Photo: Anthony DePrimo/Staten Island Advance)

Staten Island

Tiny hands of babies and toddlers playfully sifted the sand at Seaside Wildlife Nature Park on Monday when a mother pulled a needle out of the sandbox.

She handed the filthy syringe to Mike Daly, a retired firefighter who was at the Great Kills park with his wife, Jessica, and two kids, according to the Staten Island Advance.

Mike immediately called 911.

"They said they had nothing to do with that," Mike says.

So Mike called the non-emergency 311 line. The 311 dispatcher switched Mike over to the Department of Parks and Recreation.

"They said they would respond in three to four days," Mike says. "They said they would send me an e-mail."

Parks and Rec might as well have told Mike they would give toddlers plenty of time to prick their tiny fingers on any other syringe hidden in the sand and pick up hepatitis or HIV or some other nasty disease they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy.

"That’s disgusting," Mike says, wearing a rubber glove and holding up the syringe, which is dirty and slightly bent at the end of the needle.

"When you call the Parks Department and tell them something like this, they should do something, not say that the normal response time is three to four days."

Parks spokeswoman Vickie Karp says whoever told Mike to wait three or four days for an e-mail "didn’t answer it well."

What a way to unveil a gorgeous park.

"I don’t want to see the park destroyed," says Sheryl. "It’s beautiful, but we have a right to enjoy it free of litter, free of language, free of drug paraphernalia."

After all, it’s for the kids.

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The Staten Island Advance - October 13, 2010 - Jeff Harrell