Wall Street Business Reports Used Hypodermic Needles Near Picnic Area

Madison Police have responded to two reports of a Wall Street business finding used hypodermic needles near a private picnic area in Clarity Commons at 90 Wall Street, near the intersection with Railroad Avenue. 

Madison Police Officer Joe Race, the department spokesman, said needles were found on two occasions, on September 20 and October 3. Both were found by employees around noon or mid-afternoon, around the time employees in the building were having lunch, Race said. 

Sean Rotermund, the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Clarity Software, on Thursday sent this notice out to tenants in the building: 

Notice sent to tenants of Clarity Commons:

As some of you are aware, we have had two incidents of found, used, hypodermic needles in the picnic area.  Police responding confirmed they were needles consistent with heroin use. S & R Holdings is taking every measure to make safe our property while protecting tenants and their employees. Plans are going before the town, a requirement and subsequent time delay, to add special sensor driven lighting.  We hope this will ward off trespassers. Additionally, we have requested additional patrolling of our parking lot by the Madison Police Department. We will keep you informed as needed. Thank you. 

Officer Race said the police department was not able to prove the needles were used for heroin, because they weren't tested and there are no plans to test the needles. 

"That is the assumption based on what it is, but we didn't take the needles out and test them," Race said. "This looks like signs of heroin use, but we cannot confirm that."

Race said that the needles were taken to the ambulance garage, where the needles were disposed of in a sharps container. "We treated the needles as a public hazard and disposed of them," Race said. 

Race said there have been no other reports of needles around town. "Not that we have had reported to us," Race said. 

Race said that if anyone else sees used hypodermic needles, that they should not touch them and that they should report them to police. 

Race said that police will be doing additional patrols in the Wall Street area.