By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • Security cameras have recorded at least three separate nighttime incidents in which groups of people were observed entering or exiting New York City’s sewer system through maintenance holes on streets in Brooklyn and Queens, prompting an NYPD investigation.
- • One incident on May 5, 2026, captured on surveillance video in Queens, showed three individuals in waterproof hip waders and protective gear prying open a maintenance hole cover and descending into the sewer; the last person pulled the cover shut behind them.
- • In two separate Brooklyn incidents — one in Williamsburg and one in Gravesend — groups of approximately seven people were each recorded entering or emerging from maintenance holes late at night, with one individual nearly struck by a passing vehicle.
- • The New York City Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that sewer infrastructure at both Brooklyn locations was inspected and found to be undamaged; the Queens location remains under investigation.
- • The NYPD stated it does not believe the incidents represent a current threat to public safety; there have been no reported injuries and no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The New York City Police Department is investigating a series of incidents in which groups of people were recorded on surveillance cameras descending into or emerging from the city’s sewer system through street-level maintenance holes in Brooklyn and Queens, authorities confirmed as of June 3, 2026.
At least three separate nighttime incidents have been documented. On May 5, 2026, a security camera operated by a Queens auto detailing business captured three individuals wearing waterproof hip waders and other protective gear prying open a maintenance hole cover and lowering themselves into the sewer. The last member of the group pulled the cover closed behind them as vehicles slowed to a stop nearby. Shop owner Aki Jakupovic, whose surveillance system recorded the incident, said he could not identify a clear purpose for the activity but expressed concern that those involved were engaged in something unlawful.
In a separate incident in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, a group of approximately seven people was recorded on camera emerging from a maintenance hole in the middle of an intersection during the early morning hours. Some individuals wore headlamps and carried what appeared to be shovels and other tools. One person narrowly avoided being struck by a passing vehicle during the emergence. In a third recorded incident in Brooklyn’s Gravesend neighborhood, a similar-sized group was seen surfacing from a maintenance hole around 2 a.m., then retrieving fresh clothing from parked vehicles nearby. Police stated that group had entered the sewer system at approximately 11 p.m., indicating they may have been underground for approximately three hours.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection conducted inspections of the sewer infrastructure at both Brooklyn locations following the incidents and found no damage to the city’s underground systems. The Queens incident remains under active investigation by the agency. DEP spokesperson Rob Wolejsza issued a public safety warning, stating that entry into the city’s sewer system by members of the public is illegal and presents serious physical hazards, including exposure to toxic and potentially lethal gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risk, and confined space conditions.
The NYPD stated that following a thorough sweep of the affected areas, the department does not believe the incidents pose a current threat to public safety. No injuries have been reported in connection with any of the three incidents, and no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.