Pelham Bay Little League president calls for action as quality‑of‑life issues escalate around ballfields
Natalia Corridori, president of the Pelham Bay Little League and a parent, says a large hole cut through the fence has become a gateway for trespassing and drug use. She has documented used needles on the sidewalk, piles of trash surrounding the property and repeated vandalism.
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Neighbors in Pelham Bay say conditions around the local Little League field are deteriorating, with drug activity, encampments, vandalism and illegal dumping encroaching on the ballpark.
Natalia Corridori, president of the Pelham Bay Little League and a parent, says a large hole cut through the fence has become a gateway for trespassing and drug use. She has documented used needles on the sidewalk, piles of trash surrounding the property and repeated vandalism.
"We have people that are roaming the neighborhoods that are using drugs and discarding needles, just feet away from where the children are playing," said Corridori.
Corridori says she has installed new locks and security cameras, but the problems continue.
“They’ve defecated on the property. We have a shed, a closet; they have gone in there and defecated in there and we’ve had to clean it up,” Corridori said.
The league met with multiple city agencies this summer to push for long‑term solutions. NYC Parks, which has a maintenance agreement with the league, explained that responsibility for the area is shared among agencies because the fields sit along Westchester and East Tremont avenues.
The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) said this location is where "careless people frequently litter" and that the department generally cleans it weekly. DSNY encourages people to file complaints through 311, something Corridori says she has done repeatedly.
The department also says they are regularly in touch with the Community Board and Council Member regarding cleanliness in the area.
“We don’t want a Band‑Aid effect where we’re just pacifying the issue right now,” Corridori said.
Corridori says the fixes aren’t complicated, but they require agencies to follow through.
“Going after the individuals that are vandalizing our public and private properties out here, holding them accountable, picking up the litter all around, putting garbage cans everywhere, but also having boots on the ground,” Corridori said.
