Some litterburgs have turned Inwood Hill Park into their own personal dumping ground.
A host of apparent late-night parties on Saturday left the park's 218th Street peninsula covered in trash, angering local residents who took to a community Facebook page to rail against the aftermath.
Becca Anderson, 31, snapped photos of the area about 9 a.m. Sunday morning while walking her dog through the park.
“I think it looked a lot worse in person than in the photos,” Anderson told DNAinfo New York. “Things were strewn all over the place like a tornado came through.”
Anderson said she saw plastic cups, alcohol bottles, leftover food and charcoal bags on the ground, while the 15 or so trash cans in the area appeared to be empty.
“All of that can go into the river and kill fish and ducks,” she said. “That’s a special ecological area, the saltwater marsh. It doesn’t need us trying to hurt it.”
The two photos Anderson posted garnered over one hundred comments on Facebook.
“Absolutely zero respect for shared natural space,” one commenter wrote. “Makes me sad.”
Some said the problem was nothing new and suggested several possible solutions, including installing more trash cans in the area or asking the city to outlaw barbecuing in that part of the park.
However, others felt that would punish residents who use the area responsibly.
“It’s not the BBQ that’s the problem,” a commenter stated. “It’s laziness and slobbery not to pick up after yourself.”
Many called for more enforcement by police or parks officers, including writing tickets to litterers.
Deputy Inspector Chris Morello of the 34th Precinct said he has increased patrols to the park during the last two weeks after hearing about the large crowds gathering there on weekends.
While police can write tickets for littering, they must personally observe the violation in action, he said.
It was not clear how many Parks Enforcement Patrol officers, who are overseen by the Parks Department, are currently assigned to Inwood Hill Park.
The Parks Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
