New York police investigate repeated nighttime entries into city sewers
Multiple groups were filmed entering manholes and descending into New York's sewer system in May, prompting a police intelligence inquiry and warnings from city officials about the dangers and illegality of such actions.
New York City police said their intelligence division is investigating a series of incidents in which groups entered the municipal sewer system at night during May. The first episode was recorded on May 5 in Queens, when three individuals in waders opened a manhole cover at 2 a.m. and descended into the tunnels. Similar footage was captured later in the month in south and north Brooklyn, showing separate groups performing the same maneuver.
A witness who observed the initial incident told NBC New York, "I could tell they were up to no good. They went in there, closed the cover, like, you know, they were never here."
The New York Police Department stated there is "no threat to public safety at this time" but confirmed that the entries are illegal and hazardous. Rob Wolejsza, a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection, said in an email that the agency has inspected the locations and found the infrastructure safe, adding that sewers contain "noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces" and that members of the public should never enter them.
City officials noted that similar incidents have occurred in the past, including arrests in 2015 and last year for individuals allegedly searching for valuables in the sewer network, which spans roughly 7,400 miles and is accessed through about 5,000 manholes. While underground habitation has been documented in New York and other cities, the recent spate has drawn public attention and speculation about the motives of the participants.
Police and environmental agencies continue to monitor the situation and have warned that unauthorized entry into the sewer system remains both illegal and extremely dangerous.