Victoria Police issue public warning after used needle found wrapped around a railing

Victoria Police are warning the public to exercise increased caution following the discovery of a used, uncapped needle was found wrapped to a railing in the city's James Bay neighbourhood.

Police say the needle was found at around 5 pm on Sunday, with the exposed needle being tied to the handrail of a heavily used stairway. Officers say there was a small amount of blood on the needle, and believe the needle was placed there to intentionally cause injury.

"The officers who located this needle were on special duty assignment, as [the Victoria Police Department] has deployed extra officers to Beacon Hill Park and the Burnside Gorge neighborhood to increase police visibility and engagement in those areas," a social media post from the department stated. "For the month of August, officers will continue to maintain a consistent, high-visibility presence in these areas. The goal of this project is to respond to the concerns of residents and businesses that have been expressed to VicPD over the past few weeks."

Those with information regarding the incident are asked to call the Victoria Police Department non-Emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and select option 1 for the report desk. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.