By Audrey Bailey
The Zionsville Police Department recently received a donation of several sharps containers from the Boone County Health Department with the help of the Boone County Solid Waste District.
These 40 receptacles will be placed in police cruisers and stations for the purpose of holding needles and other sharp, hazardous waste material collected while on duty.
“They brought us down quite a few (sharps containers), enough for all of the vehicles and key locations around headquarters here,” Knox said. “It’s just a very safe way to help hold and dispose of sharps that could potentially cause injury to a person.”
Knox and the police department have seen the benefits over the past year of partnering with BCSWD, which donated prescription pill receptacles that are in the ZPD lobby. More than 700 unwanted prescriptions have been collected for disposal in the bins.
Knox saw a need for sharps containers in police vehicles and around a variety of stations, so he made it a point to reach out and see what could be done. He contacted the Boone County Health Department to inquire about a possible donation, and they in turn reached out to the Boone County Solid Waste District.
According to Jennifer Lawrence, executive director of BCSWD, this partnership with the Zionsville Police Department is in its initial trial stages, in order to determine whether or not disposal costs will be something that will work in the long run.
“This partnership with Chief Knox and the Zionsville Police Department is kind of a six month pilot program that we have going,” Lawrence said. “And we want to give (the containers) to him, make sure it works on his end, and make sure it works on our end.”
Knox, though, has high hopes for the future of this partnership and is grateful for the donations.
“These folks are just really great partners in public safety for us, and we appreciate it very much,” Knox said.
