Take Back Santa Cruz gives back to law enforcement
More than 900 needles have been found this year alone in Santa Cruz by the grassroots group Take Back Santa Cruz. The group says it’s part of a larger problem in the city.
The problem is drug abuse, and with those new numbers out Monday, the group began its fundraising campaign to support law enforcement.
Take Back Santa Cruz, at its core, is an anti-crime, pro-law enforcement group, organizers said.
“I personally joined Take Back Santa Cruz on February 26, 2013, the night that Butch and Beth were killed,” said Samantha Olden.
One year after Santa Cruz detectives Butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler were killed, TBSC raised $3,500 to help build a memorial outside the police department.
They were at it again Monday night for this year’s fundraiser at Woodstock’s Pizza downtown.
“This is just a great way to say thank you, we appreciate you and we want to nourish you,” Olden said
From straight donations to buying merchandise to buying a slice of pizza, the money will go to appreciation parties for police and the sheriff’s department.
During June, TBSC and Woodstock’s Pizza will take every $15 donated when you order a pizza and provide another pizza for the law enforcement appreciation parties.
Another wing of TBSC is its needle solutions team. The summer months means finding more and more needles.
“It’s shocking, it’s pretty gross,” said Mark, a lifelong Santa Cruz resident who declined to give his last name.
“I can just say in the past month, I’ve probably seen like three or four needles randomly just on the ground,” Mark said.
“It’s just representative of a larger issue, the larger problems of drug addiction, drug dealing and mental illness,” Olden said.
TBSC found 204 needles in April, down from 260 found in April last year.
Monday night’s fundraiser lasted from 5 to 9 p.m. and 25 percent of all proceeds from each purchase at the pizza place went toward TBSC to help law enforcement.
To view those reports click below:
Take Back Santa Cruz Needles Log 1 Take Back Santa Cruz Needles Log 2 NIPS – City Needles Found March 2015 NIPS – City Needles Found April 2015