Qns. Hit Hard With Poop Violators
Queens won the silver medal among the five broughs for a dubious honor, as it has the second-most violations given to owners who failed to pick up after their dogs, according to the Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
Over the two-year period, nine summonses were given in Community Board 5, which covers Ridgewood Glendale, parts of Middle Village Maspeth and Liberty Park, according to the DSNY.
Another way of monitoring the issue is the number of complaints made to 311. In the shared Ridgewood and Glendale ZIP code–11385–234 complaints were called into 311 over the last four years.
Complaints to 311 are only cases where a resident has seen an owner not clean up after their dog–different from summons, which must be witnessed by a DSNY enforcement officer in order for a a violation to be issued, a department spokesperson said.
Over the last two years, seven summons were given in Queens Community Board 2, which covers parts of Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City and a portion of West Maspeth. In the last four years in ZIP code 11101–Long Island City–53 complaints were logged.
No summonses were given in 2014 in Board 4, which covers the communities of Corona, Corona Heights and Elmhurst. One was issued in 2013, according to the DSNY.
In 2014, none were given in Board 6, with one in 2013. Three were handed out in both years in Board 9, and in Board 10 four were issued last year, and none in 2014. it was noted.
Within Community Board 4, in Bushwick, seven summonseswere issued in 2014 and nine in 2013, according to the DSNY. From 2010 to August 2014, there were 156 complaints to 311 from the ZIP code of 11233, and 90 from ZIP code 11237.
In Maspeth (ZIP code 11378), there were 179 complaints; in Woodhaven (11421), from Forest Park to Atlantic Avenue, 112; and in Middle Village (11379), 53.
The law mandating owners must clean up after their dogs was introduced in New York City in 1978. It requires anyone walking a dog on city streets to pick up waste in all public areas. Noncompliance can land offenders with a $250 fine.
Reacting to similar news in past years, DSNY officials have said enforcement teams will be deployed to monitor problematic areas. No such announcement has been repeated this year.
