National Guard Could Clean NYC Trash Pileups, Cuomo Suggests

NEW YORK CITY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested Tuesday that the state could send in the National Guard to help clean up piles of garbage that have mounted in some New York City neighborhoods during the pandemic.

"I don’t know what’s going on in New York City," the governor said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "If they can’t do it, I have offered to send in the National Guard to come help pick up the garbage. The state can bring in trucks, personnel and clean up the city."

Complaints of trash pileups have been reported citywide over the summer, coinciding with a $106 million cut to the Department of Sanitation's budget, forcing the city to reduce the frequency of garbage collection, as well as an increase in New Yorkers working from home, producing more garbage in residential neighborhoods.

A Patch review of 311 data this month found that complaints about trash in city parks doubled this summer compared to last year.

Local politicians have called on the city to find a way to address the problem, suggesting the pileups have been especially severe in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. In Harlem, reports of rat sightings soared since April amid complaints from business owners.

Never one to miss an opportunity to needle Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, Cuomo said the National Guard would clean up the mess "if the New York City Department of Sanitation and their resources can’t do it for one reason or another."

The pronouncement came as part of a presentation by the governor devoted to his "New York City Stabilization and Recovery Strategy," in which he laid out ideas on how to improve schools, crime, the economy, cleanliness and homelessness during the coronavirus crisis.

"This is a public health pandemic — cleanliness matters," he said.

Related coverage:

• Pols Demand City Clean Up Harlem Trash, Rats As Complaints Soar
• NYC Parks Trash Complaints Pile Up Amid Budget Cuts, Pandemic