VENTNOR – Police are searching for the source of nearly 50 needles that were found on the beach Monday, Aug. 15.

Ventnor City Police Capt. Michael Miller said in a release Monday that the 47 syringes were found between Cambridge and Dorset avenues after a jogger reported seeing them scattered around the boardwalk, bulkhead, dune and beach areas after 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15.

Miller said the Atlantic County Health Department was notified and responded, but did not necessitate the closure of any beach areas. At this point the source of the syringes is under investigation, but it does not appear they washed from the ocean.

On Tuesday Police Chief Donald Cancelosi said a search of the beach for additional syringes turned up clean.

“The county health department came over along with people from our department and emergency management and walked the whole length of Ventnor beach looking for any additional syringes,” Cancelosi said.

He said the syringes appeared similar to the type that can be purchased over-the-counter and were collected by members of the department and disposed of in a sharps container, similar to those used in ambulances and hospitals.

He said a majority were located between the boardwalk and the bulkhead near Cambridge Avenue while a few were found farther down the beach toward Dorset Avenue.

Cancelosi said it appeared the needles were discarded there on purpose and were not washed up from the ocean. He said officers also found medical packaging that is related to the syringes and some needles were capped and some were not.

The incident is still under investigation.

Anyone with any information as to the source of the syringes is requested to contact police at (609) 822-2101.

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