NEW YORK CITY — Security cameras recorded at least three nighttime incidents in May where groups of people entered or exited sewer tunnels through maintenance holes on streets in Brooklyn and Queens. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the unauthorized entries, which occurred in the Williamsburg and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn and in Queens.
A group of roughly seven people emerged from a maintenance hole in the middle of an intersection in Williamsburg early Friday morning. Some wore headlamps and carried what appeared to be shovels and other tools. One person narrowly missed being struck by a vehicle while exiting the hole. In Gravesend, another group of about seven surfaced around 2 a.m. from a maintenance hole on a quiet street and changed into fresh clothes taken from parked cars. Police said that group had entered the sewers around 11 p.m., remaining underground for approximately three hours.
On May 5, three people dressed in waterproof hip waders and protective gear descended into a sewer through a maintenance hole on a Queens street. The last person pulled the cover shut as approaching vehicles slowed to a stop. Aki Jakupovic, owner of an auto detailing shop, said his surveillance cameras recorded the Queens group. He said he could not guess what they did underground but worried they were "up to no good."
Rob Wolejsza, spokesperson for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, stated that entering sewers is illegal and "extremely dangerous." He said sewers can contain "noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces." Wolejsza warned that members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall. The department has inspected the Brooklyn sewer sites and confirmed the infrastructure was not damaged. The Queens incident remains under investigation.
Police said they do not believe there is any threat to public safety after conducting thorough sweeps of the affected areas. There have been no reports of injuries or arrests related to the sewer entries, and the investigation is ongoing. Anthony Purdie, a Williamsburg resident, said the group "look like they were looking for something important, like money, or for doing some type of hurting." Purdie added that it "Ain’t no fun and games. I mean, seven grown adults going down there? Got to be something, man."