Last year (dirty! uncapped!) syringes were spotted in Prospect Park, which took the Department of Sanitation and the NYPD quite some time to clean up. Earlier today a reader sent us this photo from East 83rd Street between Park and Lexington avenues, where syringes were spotted once again, this time on ice; she tells us 311 gave her a 5 to 7 day turnaround estimate on cleaning them up. more ›

No dead animals spotted in Prospect Park today (but the day is young!), however, a reader just sent over this photo taken nearby, at 7:30 a.m., of many, many needles spattered about the sidewalk on 17th and Prospect Park West (we're told "that corner is frequently used for drug deals with very little police presence," and there's a "very active, yet quiet of late, crack house 3 doors down from the spot where the photo was taken"). The NYPD and Sanitation Department are on top of it, but, as of an hour ago, were still looking for stray needles. They don't exactly look clean, and we're told some were dirty and had the caps off; after a toddler was just pricked with a needle containing the HIV virus... well, better keep your kids in the Bugaboo if you're in the area today. more ›