A Cobourg woman was shocked to find a number of prescription bottles in a park near her house over the weekend.
The response she received from police was just as disturbing.
Julie Greer took her dog for a walk on Sunday (April 7) and noticed a lid was open on a bin by a baseball diamond in Sinclair Park. The bin is primarily used to keep bases and other baseball accessories in it during the summer months.
“I looked in and I saw a whole bunch of (plastic) bottles,” Greer told Today’s Northumberland.
Greer estimates there had to be close to 50 bottles.
At the time Greer couldn’t tell what they were as she wasn’t wearing her glasses, but she also noticed a white bag on top of the bin on the lid with another 10-15 bottles.
On Monday Greer called the Parks Board and left a message about what she had found.
By approximately 3 p.m. they didn’t call her back and she became worried about what the bottles may contain.
“My daughter was here and we checked it out and it was (empty) Methadone (bottles).”
“I said, I’m calling the police because I don’t want kids to get into that.”
Methadone is an opioid used for opioid maintenance therapy in opioid dependence, and for pain.
Greer called Cobourg Police at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Monday and waited for them to call her back.
The police dispatcher did say they were busy, but after 7 p.m. Greer called police back because she was concerned about the Methadone bottles.
“She said they’re really busy, but there will be somebody there soon.”
A officer phoned her a short time later and inquired about the “cough bottles” she had picked up.
Greer said, “No, I found a bunch of Methadone bottles in the ball diamond park area.”
Approximately 45-minutes later the officer pulled into her driveway and walked up to her door.
“He said, “so you have some bottles for me to pick up?”
Greer again told him they were Methadone bottles and the officer again asked where they were?
When she pointed to the vicinity where the bottles were, the officer asked her why she didn’t gather them up.
“I don’t want to touch them,” she told him.
“He actually made me feel really stupid. Like I wasted his time.”
The officer left stating he had another incident, but told Greer he would be back to pick up the bottles.
A police cruiser pulled up to the area where the Methadone bottles were at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Monday evening and Greer thought the matter was dealt with.
But on Tuesday morning, Greer went over to discover the bag that was still sitting on the lid of the bin with the 10-15 Methadone bottles still in it.
“I picked it up and through it in the big garbage bin because I didn’t want anybody to get into them.”
Today’s Northumberland checked the area and found one Methadone bottle still in the area (and put it in the garbage).
The name of the person who was prescribed the medication was torn off, but the doctor’s name, the name of the pharmacy and what it was were still on the bottle.
Parks Department staff called Greer on Tuesday and thanked her for calling and told her she did the right thing not touching the bottles.
Unfortunately Greer doesn’t share the same gratitude for Cobourg Police.
“I was not very happy with the police. The way they made me feel. They made me feel like I was a complete idiot. Like I was wasting their time.”
Greer also said, “it’s disgusting” anyone would dispose of Methadone bottles in a park where children play.
“If you have a problem that’s one thing, but dispose your stuff somewhere else, not in a goddamn park where kids play.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
