BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Residents across New York City are keeping a closer watch on neighborhood streets after surveillance video from three separate locations appeared to show groups of people removing manhole covers and climbing into underground tunnels.
Authorities are investigating the incidents, which have been reported in Queens and Brooklyn.
While there is no indication that any infrastructure was damaged, police and city agencies have taken the reports seriously.
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Law enforcement and engineers have been looking at the areas that were breached, and evaluating the type of tools and dress.
New York City has hundreds of thousands of manholes connected to separate utility systems, each with its own network of drains, tunnels, or access shafts for wires and pipes.
One of the incidents was captured by a surveillance camera at AKI Auto Care on 20th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. The camera overlooks the street and recorded activity earlier this month.
Shop owner Aki Jakupovic said he and several employees were working late at the beginning of May when they noticed suspicious behavior.
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“It was late at night putting some overtime. I see three strange guys. The door is open and people are walking toward the middle of the street. They have overalls on, and it’s just very strange. It wasn’t cold outside,” he said.
Concerned by what he observed, Jakupovic said he closed the shop door while continuing to watch the group.
The video appears to show the group removing a manhole cover and descending into the underground system. A nearby vehicle appeared to provide lighting and shield the activity.
Jakupovic said the scene raised concerns about both the group’s intentions and public safety.
“Are they looking for lost items or jewelry? I don’t know what’s down there. It’s very strange, very odd. There’s Con Edison pipes and gas lines. It’s a safety thing,” he said.
The business reported the incident to 911, and the New York Police Department responded that night in early May, according to the shop owner.
Two additional incidents were reported over the weekend in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Gravesend and Williamsburg.
City officials said officers and personnel from the Department of Environmental Protection inspected underground infrastructure near McDonald Avenue on Saturday and determined that the systems remained safe.
As of Tuesday, no further developments had been reported.
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