Press Releases

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue today joined NYC Department of Sanitation Chief of Enforcement Michael Saladino, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, New York City Councilmember Oswald Feliz, and Sanitation Foundation Executive Director Julie Raskin to announce the amendment of a city rule to increases the penalties associated with summonses for unlawful dumping on Parks properties. Effective March 31, and in time for the busy spring and summer seasons, an amendment to Section 1-07 of NYC Parks rules increases the penalties for illegal dumping to $5,000 for the first dumping offense.

To discourage repeat offenders, Parks has also added a penalty of $10,000 for each subsequent offense within 12 months of the first offense. Additionally, thanks to funding commitments from Councilmember Feliz and Councilmember Althea Stevens, Parks is pursuing installing more surveillance cameras in parks to aid in dumping enforcement. Borough President Gibson announced that she would also contribute funding for additional cameras in parks.

"Every New Yorker deserves to have access to safe, clean, and welcoming parks. New York City has always gone after bad actors who illegally dump on our streets and in our parks, but starting today, we are upping the ante: If you trash our parks, you will be held accountable and charged five times more than before," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "Our increased penalties and additional surveillance cameras in parks will help prevent illegal dumping and improve quality of life across the five boroughs. But we are going further to keep parkland safe and clean: In my State of the City address, we announced we are adding a second cleaning shift at dozens of parks and keeping more parks’ bathrooms open, which will help us continue to make New York City the best place to raise a family."

“From day one, the Adams administration has been focused on keeping our parks clean and available for people from dawn to dusk. It’s why we expanded the ‘second shift’ maintenance program, which will kick off mid-month in time for the peak season, and it’s why we’re cracking down on illegal dumping,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth. “Our parks are treasured community resources — not dumping grounds. We need New Yorkers to do their part, while we do ours.”

“Clean parks enhance public safety and improve the health of our communities — that’s why keeping our greenspaces clean and welcoming for all is one of our top priorities,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “These increased penalties will serve to deter illegal dumping, addressing a major challenge in our parks that has required a considerable amount of staff time and resources. Additionally, the planned installation of security cameras and the introduction of additional cleaning staff this spring will help keep parks cleaner and enhance quality of life for New Yorkers.”

While illegal dumping is a concern in parks throughout all five boroughs, the issue has been especially pronounced in the Bronx — in FY 2024, nearly 32,000 bags of illegally dumped trash were removed from Bronx parks. Since 2023, 70 percent of all summonses issued by Parks enforcement for illegal dumping were issued in the Bronx.

The previous penalty for illegal dumping was $1,000 per offense, which was substantially less than the $4,000 penalty typically assessed by the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The rule amendment brings the penalty more in line with the standard violations assessed by DSNY.

Commissioner Donoghue announced the new rule during a press conference at Echo Park in the Bronx, where local elected officials said they have committed to funding the installation of security cameras in Bronx parks to help capture unlawful dumping activity. Parks is also adding “second shift” park staff by mid-April, which will provide weekend and evening coverage at a total of 200 separate locations in 121 of our busiest parks.

"For years, there was only one answer to the scourge of illegal dumping: clean it up and wait for it to happen again. Over the last three years, this administration has been the first to get serious about enforcement against this theft of public space," said Javier Lojan, Acting Commissioner of NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY). "When the fine is thousands of dollars, dumpers like crooked contractors and out-of-staters think twice, and DSNY stands ready to work with NYC Parks in this effort."

"At the Sanitation Foundation, we believe New York City’s public spaces belong to all of us," said Julie Raskin, Executive Director of the Sanitation Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the NYC Department of Sanitation. "Dumping private waste on our streets, sidewalks, and parks is unacceptable. We support DSNY and Parks in holding illegal dumpers accountable through increased fines and enforcement. But keeping our city clean takes all of us. Dispose of your waste responsibly — and if you’re passionate about making a difference, join us! Volunteer at one of 150+ cleanups during the NYC Big Spring Clean, pitch in at our Bronx Summer Cleanups with the New York Yankees, or join year-round programs like Adopt Your Spot NYC and Community Stewards. Learn more at sanitationfoundation.org."