Bronx residents, pols in push to enforce Pooper Scooper law

Many Bronx residents and neighborhood groups are fed up with what they say is a lack of pooper-scooper law enforcement by the city Sanitation Department. Now, some Bronx politicians are ready to take action.

Citywide summonses for failing to dispose of dog feces decreased to 377 in the 2011 fiscal year ending June 30, compared to 530 the year before.

In the Bronx, sanitation officers wrote 146 summonses - the most in any borough, but down 28 percent from the previous fiscal year.

On one recent Sunday afternoon, there were 41 piles of un-scooped feces on the sidewalk and in tree pits on just one block, on one side of Boston Road between 180th St. and the Bronx Zoo, outside of theLambert Houses apartment complex.

"It's hard to walk around here without stepping in something," said Josh DeJesus, 16.

Sanitation Department spokeswoman Kathy Dawkins attributed the decrease in tickets to effective enforcement.

"More people are abiding by the law," she said.

Not so, said Vince Prezioso, executive director of the Northeast Bronx Association.

"Maybe they go out and sit by Gracie Mansion and make sure dogs don't do it there, but they're not enforcing it out in the Bronx," Prezioso said.

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., stepped into the issue when he announced a pooper-scooper initiative in October. Danny Figueroa, the chief of staff for state Assemblyman Peter Rivera (D-Parkchester), said his boss is looking into getting a tougher law, through the state Legislature.

Figueroa said raising fines, increasing signage, providing more money for enforcement - or even making a violation criminal rather than civil - could be options.

Ticketing property owners for dog dirt left on their property also is an option, albeit less attractive than others, he said.

Bernadette Ferrara, vice president of the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance, called that proposal a "load of poop," saying it would give dog owners even less incentive to pick up after their dogs.

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