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The amount of hypodermic needles being discarded on the streets of downtown Seattle is on a sharp increase.

Seattle crews have seen a 233 percent increase in the amount of needs found while sweeping trash, .

The city’s “cleanup ambassadors” have been tracking and disposing of the needles. Crews picked up 503 needles in February, KING 5 reports. That’s a significant increase to the 151 picked up in January 2014.

It’s a drastic contrast to the environment ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio’s Dori Monson grew up in.

“When I was a kid the worst thing you could step on was a cigarette butt,” he said.

Dori called areas, including Pike Place Market, “an open drug bazaar.” There are drug users shooting up in the middle of the day in the alleys, he added.

“Our city leaders are doing a bang-up job, I’m telling you,” Monson quipped.

KING 5 reports businesses are seeing improvements since the 9.5-block crime crackdown that began in April. Many of the people arrested during the crackdown, however, were not eligible for a diversion program that city leaders said they would send the suspects to.