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In the past eight months, neighbours in St. Margarets have found four hypodermic needles abandoned at their community playground.

Leanne Trevors lives across the street from the park — basically an open field with trees surrounded by homes.

Her nine-year-old daughter found two of the needles.

"Kids use the place to play hide and seek and climb trees. They throw the Frisbee and kick the ball around.

"Everyone is understandably upset and we have been educating our children about what to do if they come across more," she said.

But she is still scared of what could happen if her kids fell or stepped on one.

And she is concerned by the lack of attention it has gotten from police.

Her neighbour discovered the first needle back in August while he was with his young children in the park. He decided to go to each home and inform the community of what he had found so they could warn their youngsters.

A month later Trevors' daughter found another right at the end of her driveway.

"I called the police, but they said there wasn't much they could do and I should safely dispose of it."

Trevors was never sure if she was speaking with an officer or someone at the front desk, but she said she was never told how to exactly go about "safely" disposing of a needle.

In the end she put it in a plastic pop bottle and secured the cap.

Then, at the end of October, the same daughter found another needle at the edge of the park on Halloween.

Once winter rolled around with the piles of snow and the cold, the needles disappeared for a time.

But now that the snow has taken a serious hit in the area, Keith believes the culprit is back at it.

On April 26 she found yet another needle. She doesn't believe the snow was hiding it.

"My husband doesn't think it looks like its been sitting out all winter," she said.

Catlin Chiasson, an auxiliary officer, was in the area at the time and took the needle.

Trevors said he told her some tests may show what drugs the needle was used for — whether for a diabetic or illegal drug use.

"I don't think it was for a diabetic, but even if it was it could still carry infections."

Mostly, Trevors is frustrated at being told there's nothing to be done.

Cpl. Andre Moreau is with the District 5 RCMP in Baie St. Ann.

"We know there is some drugs in the area," he said. "It's always serious. We need to determine just how big of a problem this is and what we are facing."

They plan to look into the frequency of these findings to see how often garbage like this is actually being found.

Ontario and British Columbia have a Safe Streets Act. Though controversial for their treatment of the homeless, these acts do include a charge for the "disposal of certain dangerous items, including used condoms, broken glass, and hypodermic needles."

In Ontario, the penalty is a maximum fine of $500, and with any subsequent offenses the fine is raised to a max of $1,000 and no more than six months imprisonment.

New Brunswick has no such act.

"If we see someone disposing of needles, that is littering first of all. Then it depends on what the needle contains. They are not supposed to have drugs in their possession. There is lots of ways to deal with that," said Moreau.

Moreau surmised these most likely were young people involved.

"They may be used to that place growing up and it becomes a gathering place."

But Trevors has no idea who is involved. She said she hasn't seen much late-night activity at the playground opposite her home, and couldn't begin to guess who the culprit is.

"I couldn't say who it was — age, sex. There were no big groups out there."

And Trevors isn't concerned about whose out there or, in the end, what they are up to.

Trevors isn't concerned about what's in the needle, she just wants her children to have a safe play environment.

"I don't care if someone wants to use illegal drugs. Just don't let our kids be hurt because of it."