Residents asked to report syringes

Mayor Harry Kim’s office requests residents report any discarded syringes or needles they find to the police.

Residents who find abandoned needles are warned to not attempt to handle the items themselves, but instead record when and where they were found on a newly created online form on the county’s website. Residents are not required to report their names or contact information.

Only trained staff should attempt to handle used needles, which could be laced with drugs, infected or otherwise contaminated.

The county also will install “amnesty sharps disposal bins,” which are tamper-proof boxes for syringe or needle disposal, at public restrooms at parks or other facilities.

Residents can report syringes at hawaiicounty.gov/report-discarded-syringes. They also can call the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.