Clare Hennig

A mother of two in Prince George is concerned that a surge in homelessness,&nbsp;crime and drug use&nbsp;in the area is&nbsp;spilling into residents' yards after finding a discarded needle in her garden.

Hana Bullard, who has a one-year-old and four-year-old, found the used needle&nbsp;in her front yard last week while talking to a neighbour.

What to do if you've stepped on a discarded syringe

Health officials say there's a low chance for the transmission of diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C.

a needle on the ground, shown in a CBC stock image.

Tweel said he's concerned about illegal activity being allowed to happen. 

needle

A three-year-old child was pricked by an uncapped syringe at a park on Vancouver Island earlier this week. 

Her children were following just behind her when she spotted the sharp object.

"I still feel a little sick to my stomach thinking about it," she told CBC's Audrey McKinnon.

"As soon as you see it, you have this image of your small child contacting this."

Hana Bullard says she doesn't feel safe in her own home and yard anymore and wants to see more patrolling of the neighborhood. 

Hana Bullard

Her two children often play in the garden, Bullard said, crawling around in the grass near where the needle was.

"It makes me feel very unsafe," she said. "This is my home … and I don't want to send my kids out in my own yard."

How cities across Canada are dealing with discarded needles

Cities like Moncton, N.B., and Cambridge, Ont., are dealing with the problem of discarded needles in parks and laneways.

This Wednesday, June 7, 2017 photo shows discarded used hypodermic needles without protective sheaths at an encampment where opioid addicts shoot up along the Merrimack River in Lowell, Mass. Syringes left by drug users amid the heroin crisis are turning up everywhere. They hide in weeds along hiking trails and in playground grass, get washed into rivers and onto beaches, and lie scattered about in baseball dugouts and on sidewalks and streets. There are reports of children finding them and getting poked. 

APTOPIX Needles Everywhere

ACAP said used drug needles were found in public areas in three communities.

Cities across Canada are struggling with how to handle the problem of discarded needles in parks and trails as well as in downtown cores. This photo is from the Atlantic Coastal Action Program Cape Breton, which says it recently found used drug needles in public areas in three communities.

discarded drug needles in CBRM

She called the city and bylaw officers showed up to remove the needle.

"They were very good and they replied very quickly and came out to look after it," she said.

But Bullard wants to see more preventive measures and police patrols&nbsp;in her neighbourhood.

"I would just like to feel as though there is a bit more monitoring of the area," she said.

Kamloops dad starts petition after son poked by used needle

Kamloops father Jeff Arlitt started a petition to improve needle safety after his 12-year-old son was poked by a needle.

Ashley Pritchard and her son found needles in Polson Park.

Vernon needle tree

This is not the first time discarded needles have been an issue in Prince George.

In August, bylaw officers cleaned up enough syringes to fill a five gallon bucket in the city.

"Both my neighbour&nbsp;and I&nbsp;have found drug paraphernalia —&nbsp;including needles —&nbsp;before, but they are usually contained in the public parts of the street," Bullard said.

Snow melt reveals discarded needles in Vernon area

As the snow melts in the Okanagan, online forums in Vernon are buzzing with complaints about discarded needles.

Resident Kim Logan posted this photo to the Vernon & Area Community Forum pointing out needles near the local Superstore. "With the snow melting we are seeing a lot of needles on the grass. Be careful!" she said.

Vernon Needles

Resident Kim Logan posted this photo to the Vernon & Area Community Forum showing needles near the local Superstore. "With the snow melting we are seeing a lot of needles on the grass. Be careful!" she said.

She's calling for change as crime seems to be moving closer and closer to residential areas.

"I want to feel safe in my own yard and I don't," Bullard said.

"I know of neighbours who have had people come into their homes, make themselves comfortable. I've had someone be physically assaulted in their own home. It's scary."

With files from &nbsp;Audrey McKinnon and Daybreak North.

Hana Bullard stands in her yard where she found a discarded syringe, likely used for injecting illegal drugs. 

'I want to feel safe in my own yard,' says woman who found used syringe in her garden

Feeling unsafe

Call for more patrols

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