The City of Lewiston condemned a building used by the Church of Safe Injection (CoSI) non-profit last Wednesday after police reportedly discovered thousands of needles on the basement floor, along with human feces.
According to an email from Deputy Lewiston City Administrator Brian O’Malley, posted to the Lewiston Matters Facebook group, the city condemned the CoSI building on Main Street after officers responded to reports of an unsecured open door at the building.
According to O’Malley, officers arrived to discover a basement door hanging open and found “several thousand” needles scattered across the floor. Police also discovered multiple hazardous material boxes full of used syringes that officers believed had been accessed.
Officers found evidence that people had been living in the basement and discovered human feces on the floor.
In response, the Lewiston Code Enforcement Department condemned the building. CoSI is licensed to operate as a syringe service program (SSP) by the Maine Center for Disease Control, allowing them to distribute syringes to drug addicts.
“This is the most extreme case of needle negligence that I’ve seen in the city so far,” said building inspector Travis Tardif, speaking to WMTW “I’ve seen the unsanitary conditions and the squatters, but nothing like that with the needles.”
“I think it’s safe to say we will not be excited to welcome CoSI back to Lewiston anytime soon,” said Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) spokeswoman Lindsay Hammes told the outlet that the situation may jeopardize CoSI’s authorization to operate as an SSP.
Multiple news outlets covered the closure, reporting on the city’s discoveries and prompting an irate response from the nonprofit.
CoSI defended itself, claiming that its team only found 300 syringes scattered across the floor, not the thousands reported by Lewiston authorities. They stated that they found no “biohazard waste” in the basement, though it is unclear how used syringes, whether 300 or several thousand, could not be considered biohazard waste.
“In Truth, there were no biohazard waste materials found in any of the spaces that CoSI rents,” they said.
The group accused the city of working to “sabotage” their work by condemning the site.
“This is also a real reminder from the City, that power can be abused and utilized to sabotage solutions, especially if they’re not aligned with specific, profitable interests,” they said.
CoSI also appeared to imply that the closure of its Lewiston location is part of some sort of capitalist master plan.
“We’ve been the target of an agenda within these city limits for years, it’s nothing new. We are not surprised by the actions taken – some will go to any lengths to ensure an outcome that ultimately favors a capitalist’s dream,” they said.
According to CoSI, having homeless people break in and scatter syringes across their basement is “normal” and simply the result of “systemic injustice.”
“Break-ins and squatting in empty spaces (like half of this building & the BASEMENT, where the evidence was found) is normal and often does result in litter left behind from folks seeking shelter. Finding a place to sleep at night in a city with limited options, that is historically known to publicly target (with unabashed disgust) unhoused people who use drugs, must be extremely difficult,” they said.
“We call it a crime, but it is a natural survival response for those enduring the experience. It’s the only logical result of systemic injustice, discriminatory practices and extreme poverty,” they added.
The non-profit’s statement maintained that the condemnation is temporary, but that does not appear to align with the mayor’s statement claiming that they would not be welcomed back to the city.
According to their website, CoSI partnered with Maine Family Planning to provide contraception, “abortion services,” and referrals to gender clinics from their Lewiston location.
They also use the acronym PWUD to refer to “people who use drugs.”
The non-profit, founded in 2019, does not appear to be in a sound financial state, as its revenue has been too low to require it to publicly disclose its tax records, and it was recently forced to launch a fundraiser to pay for a $1,000 car repair.
In order to maintain revenue, the non-profit sells merchandise, including T-shirts depicting what appears to be hallucinogenic drugs with the caption “I Love People Who Use Drugs,” and a shirt urging people to “Support Your Local SSP,” featuring a dancing anthropomorphic syringe.
The non-profit expressed outrage that people simply believed the city’s claims about their Lewiston location without first asking them about the situation directly. The Maine Wire tried to do just that, but the phone number listed on their Facebook page appears to be deactivated and does not allow voicemails.
The Maine Wire also reached out for additional information via email, but they did not respond immediately.
