The Department of Sanitation has a dedicated team to clean up needles left on city streets.

News 12 followed them along a walk through The Hub, an area that’s known for drug use and distribution.

According to DSNY, crews picked up over 100,000 needles throughout the city so far in fiscal year 2025, with 65,000 of those were in the Bronx.

When asked why DSNY does these needle cleanup walks, Assistant Chief Frank Lettera said: “It's a vital part of the city's cleanup. We all have families. We all have children. Ourselves, the residents of New York City - no one deserves to have to walk down the street and see these needles laying around and be exposed to this.”

Officer Lynann O’Hanlon, who is one of the trained officers who do these needle cleanups, says she often finds them on the curb line by cars. She emphasizes the importance of disposing needles properly, using gloves and a picker to place them in a sharps container.

DSNY says if you see a needle on the ground, don’t touch it. Call 311 and they will send someone from DSNY to pick up the needle immediately.

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