Advertisement 'Pokemon Go' players leave condoms, heroin needles in Lake Park, neighbor says Neighbor thinks county's efforts to permit game is just lip service Share Shares Copy Link Copy

"Pokemon Go" players are urinating in the waterfall at Lake Park, and the historic public space is littered with cigarette butts, condoms and heroin needles, one neighbor to the park says.To top it off, Sara Slaughter isn't happy with the personnel that county officials have brought in to help clean up the place: minimum and medium-level prisoners."Between the heroin needles being found and the inmates cleaning up, it just feels like we're at a point where you just shake your head," she said. "It's ridiculous."Slaughter was pleased to learn of the Milwaukee County park director's recent letter to Niantic, the developer of the popular augmented reality game, demanding it seek permits for play in the county parks, but she said she was taken aback when the director, John Dargle, said the company would be granted a permit, no questions asked, if it only asked for one."That was a shock to all of us, because the message that we've been getting is that we are moving towards finding a more appropriate place for this game that can support all the crowds that it attracts," she said. She said the changes to the park have caused her to end the walks she takes with her daughter. Addressing questions about the use of inmates, Milwaukee County executive Chris Abele said the prisoners who are put to work in the parks pose no threats."Nobody goes out on the work crews unless they are cleared for safety. We haven't had any issues, but we use them for cleanup in a lot of parks," he told WISN 12 NEWS earlier this week. A public meeting is scheduled for Sept. 7 to address questions regarding "Pokemon Go" in Lake Park. County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman and representatives from the parks department will be on-hand. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Marcia Coles Community Room at Lake Park.Get the WISN 12 NEWS app