Volunteers find needles, human waste in cleanup efforts at Clifford Park in Roxbury

Volunteers find needles while cleaning up Clifford Park in Roxbury

ROXBURY --  A group of volunteers spent Saturday at Clifford Park in Roxbury cleaning it up for kids and families. 

In recent days, the park had been littered with used needles and other debris, making it unsafe for kids to play there. 

The volunteer cleanup effort was spearheaded by Boston City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy.

"Very discouraged that their park is not clean and safe to play safely," said Councilor Murphy.

Clifford Park is about a half-mile from the encampments of homeless people who have returned to Mass Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, despite the city's efforts to clean it up.

"The neighbors are finding when they go out to play baseball or [when] the football team's on the field, they're finding human waste, a lot of needles, trash," said Murphy.

The cleanup turned dangerous for one of Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden's security team members, who was injured by a needle and was transported to the hospital.

"My detail, who was here with me for this cleanup today, was stuck in the foot with a needle," said Hayden. "And if this doesn't highlight how tragic this can be, then I don't know what does. That could've been a kid."

Residents and volunteers say they would love to see this park filled with kids again. But with the amount of drug activity taking place here, it's just simply not safe. And they also know this will not be the last time they have to clean up this park.

Roxbury resident Franco Marzo has lived here for 18 years and is glad something is finally being done.

"It means a lot," Marzo said. "We are part of the solution too, so we all have to work together."

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