Pelham Bay Little League leaders are sounding the alarm, saying drug activity, tents and illegal dumping around the Westchester Avenue diamonds have turned the youth fields into unsafe territory for kids. The all-volunteer league says graffiti, broken fences and trash show up so often that families and coaches are starting to doubt the city will ever get a handle on it.
League Demands Immediate Cleanup And Safety Fixes
At a Friday meeting that brought together Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez, Council Member Shirley Aldebol and representatives from DOT, the Department of Social Services, the NYPD, NYC Parks and Bally's, league leaders laid out a long list of problems and pushed for a coordinated city response, according to Bronx Times. Pelham Bay Little League president Natalia Corridori told officials the complex, which league officials say serves about 250 children in baseball, softball and T-ball, has repeatedly seen tents go up near playing areas, garbage dumped behind the facility and graffiti splashed on signage. Organizers also highlighted the community events they host, including holiday gatherings and food giveaways, as proof that the site is a neighborhood hub that needs both rapid cleanup and serious long-term investment.
Volunteers Say They’re Exhausted
Corridori arrived with photos and short videos that showed tents outside the T-ball field, piles of garbage clustered near the clubhouse and graffiti covering nearby structures, and she described witnessing a man inject drugs behind bushes while children played within sight. “How much more can we do as volunteers? We’re also not security guards, but we want to keep our little ones safe,” she said at the meeting, per Bronx Times. Volunteers told officials they regularly patch fencing and cart away trash, only to find the same hazards back again a few days later.
City Agencies Point To Outreach And 311
Officials at the meeting noted that the diamonds sit on parkland but also border city streets and MTA property, which makes it tough for a single agency to take charge, and they urged continued documentation so the right teams can be sent out. Jessenia Aponte is listed as the Bronx borough commissioner for NYC Parks in the City Green Book, and the Department of Homeless Services’ HOME-STAT guidance explains how a 311 service request can be reviewed and routed to outreach teams that may be dispatched to a reported spot. A 2023 audit by the Office of the New York City Comptroller found that many encampment cleanups did not lead to lasting housing outcomes and that cleared sites can re-form, highlighting the limits of short-term sweeps as a stand-alone strategy.
League's Long-Term Plan And Next Steps
Corridori also outlined a longer-range vision to overhaul the aging complex, calling for an indoor training space, multi-sport courts, better lighting and programming that could support after-school and workforce development efforts, and she asked elected officials to help secure capital dollars and a clear timeline. Pelham Bay Little League notes on its website that it has served the neighborhood since 1954 and runs year-round programs out of a facility at 2680 Westchester Avenue, and volunteers say they will keep documenting problems and pressing agencies to follow up.
How Neighbors Can Help
League leaders urged neighbors who see tents, drug activity or illegal dumping to call 311 and to alert the league and local elected offices so each incident is logged and can be pushed up the chain. Officials at the meeting said they will continue working with agency partners, and Corridori said the league will keep demanding both immediate patrols and a concrete plan to restore the fields as reliable, safe spaces for Bronx children.
