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Community members say a stretch of their neighborhood above the Cross Bronx Expressway is well-known as an illegal garbage dumping spot. Local resident Dennis Bonner tells News 12 that Nelson Avenue between West 172nd and 173rd Streets is constantly filled with garbage. “You see a bunch of rodents. You see raccoons. You see a lot of things in this area where that’s not supposed to be at,” said Bonner. “It’s become a nuisance to the neighborhood.” The Department of Sanitation is familiar with this area – they say it’s actually been cleaned up nine times this year. Around 280 cameras are set up at varying hotspots to catch illegal dumpers in the act – in 2023, DSNY issued 300 summonses for illegal dumping. Each of those summonses costs around $4,000 plus the cost of cleaning up the mess. ”