Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson announced Tuesday that she is contributing $1.5 million to fight illegal dumping and make the Bronx’s streets cleaner.
Gibson said the influx of cash will fund the installation of security cameras in key locations and sanitation enforcement efforts to ward off illegal dumping, which has plagued the borough and galvanized residents and officials as part of an initiative called “Clean Streets are Safe Streets.”
On Aug. 26, during a press conference at Lou Gehrig Plaza, steps away from Yankee Stadium, Gibson, along with Bronx District Attorney Darcel J. Clark, stressed that cleaner streets would lead to safer neighborhoods.
“By supporting our communities, we are building pride in our neighborhoods, we are enhancing public safety,” Gibson said. “We are keeping our borough clean and we are creating a borough that is stronger, healthier, cleaner and safer for all.”
She was joined by leaders from the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), NYPD, the Parks Department and nonprofits like the Sanitation Foundation and Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group (ASEZ WAO). The beep also presented checks of $1 million to the NYPD and $500,000 to the DSNY, representing her fiscal year 2026 budget allocations for the effort.
Clark said that the Bronx cannot wait to step up its enforcement of illegal dumping.
“Our residents should not have eyesores and potentially dangerous items ruining our environment,” the DA said. “We hope the city will install these [cameras] as soon as possible. We need help to stop illegal dumping and to curb violence.”
The announcement comes amid larger efforts to address the borough’s trash problem.
In March, the NYC Parks Department announced a significant increase in the fines for illegal dumping in NYC Parks, a problem that then-NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donohue acknowledged disproportionately affects the Bronx. Dumping in city parks in the Bronx represented 70% of all summonses issued by NYCParks since 2023, Donohue said at the time of the announcement.
The issue of trash on Bronx streets appears to have also moved the needle in local elections. The slogan, “Clean the Damn Streets” helped lead progressive City Council candidate Justin Sanchez to victory in a packed Democratic primary race for District 17 in the South Bronx in June.
Sanchez told the Bronx Times that he credited his victory to listening to voters about the issues they wanted to see fixed—and cleaning up the garbage in the Bronx came up repeatedly.
Gibson also made the sanitation problem a key commitment for her upcoming term during the 2025 State of the Borough address, warning that “we are coming” for people who illegally dump trash in Bronx neighborhoods and parks.
But Tuesday, Gibson also stressed community involvement, praising efforts from nonprofits like ASEZ WAO and the Sanitation Foundation, which have held summer cleanups across the borough. She encouraged Bronxites to lead the way in keeping trash off the streets.
“Keeping our borough safe and clean is not the responsibility of government alone,” Gibson said. “It’s up to all of us.”
