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NYPD steps up security sweeps after 3 people exit Upper East Side manhole, with UN in town
By
Catalina Gonella
and
Ryan Kost
Published Sep 23, 2026
Modified Sep 23, 2026
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Catalina Gonella
By
Catalina Gonella
and
Ryan Kost
Published Sep 23, 2026
Modified Sep 23, 2026
Share
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The NYPD says it’s planning further security sweeps after three people were seen exiting a manhole on the Upper East Side — the latest of several such incidents over the last few months throughout the city. Officials said the area is considered a sensitive location because several dignitaries are staying nearby.
Brad Weekes, a police spokesperson, said the incident fit the same criteria as earlier events when individuals would enter the “sewer system to look for valuables and other scrap metal after a storm.”
But given that the U.N. General Assembly is meeting in New York this week, the NYPD plans to conduct additional security sweeps, Weekes said. The NYPD said the incident occurred in front of in front of 535 Park Ave, according to the NYPD, which is across from the Regency Hotel.
“NYPD has a robust response to these incidents, which were deployed overnight and additional measures today,” Weekes said.
Police officers responding to a call around 4:30 a.m. were told by a witness that three people had climbed out of the sewer system, according to the NYPD. The department said the incident was caught on camera as well. The three unidentified individuals then got into two separate vehicles, driving away northbound on Park Avenue, police said.
In August, five people were spotted exiting a manhole near Penn Station. There were sightings of similar activity in May, when two groups of seven and eight people were seen entering manholes in Gravesend and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and emerging hours later.
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection said the agency has inspected the sewer and confirmed that the infrastructure is safe. The DEP stressed that entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous, as they contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surges, flooding risks and confined spaces.
Police said no arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and that an investigation is ongoing.
This story has been updated with more information and to correct the spelling of Brad Weekes' name.
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Catalina Gonella
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Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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