NYC's idling bounty hunters are cashing in big time - but the city is cracking down on the lucrative program.
Citizen enforcers who capture videos of idling trucks and buses spewing air pollution can rake in nearly $1 million apiece, prompting critics to call it an "occupation" rather than a noble effort to combat environmental pollution.
Councilman James Gennaro chairs the Environmental Committee and has warned that the days of "six-figure bounty hunters" are over. The program, launched in 2019, was initially touted as a way for New Yorkers to help clean up their air by reporting idling vehicles.
In an ad campaign featuring '80s punk rocker Billy Idol, the city encouraged citizens to report idling trucks and buses, with rewards ranging from 25% to 50 percent of fines pursued.
However, critics argue that the program is skewed towards wealthier areas of town, with bounty hunters focusing on Midtown, lower Manhattan, and wealthy Brooklyn neighborhoods - not exactly the "environmental justice" communities.
According to DEP records, some top-enforcers have earned over half a million dollars in rewards, including Michael Streeter, who collected over $700,000 for recording idling vehicles.
But not all enforcers are clear about their earnings, with one, Patrick Schnell, claiming he hasn't received the whopping $582,800 suggested by the DEP.
Critics say that while air pollution is a serious issue - causing cancer, dementia, asthma, and 3,200 premature deaths in New York each year - the program's focus on wealthy areas has undermined its effectiveness.
Citizen enforcers who capture videos of idling trucks and buses spewing air pollution can rake in nearly $1 million apiece, prompting critics to call it an "occupation" rather than a noble effort to combat environmental pollution.
Councilman James Gennaro chairs the Environmental Committee and has warned that the days of "six-figure bounty hunters" are over. The program, launched in 2019, was initially touted as a way for New Yorkers to help clean up their air by reporting idling vehicles.
In an ad campaign featuring '80s punk rocker Billy Idol, the city encouraged citizens to report idling trucks and buses, with rewards ranging from 25% to 50 percent of fines pursued.
However, critics argue that the program is skewed towards wealthier areas of town, with bounty hunters focusing on Midtown, lower Manhattan, and wealthy Brooklyn neighborhoods - not exactly the "environmental justice" communities.
According to DEP records, some top-enforcers have earned over half a million dollars in rewards, including Michael Streeter, who collected over $700,000 for recording idling vehicles.
But not all enforcers are clear about their earnings, with one, Patrick Schnell, claiming he hasn't received the whopping $582,800 suggested by the DEP.
Critics say that while air pollution is a serious issue - causing cancer, dementia, asthma, and 3,200 premature deaths in New York each year - the program's focus on wealthy areas has undermined its effectiveness.
! They're making like $1M easy from just reporting idling trucks & buses. I checked the data and it's crazy to see how much some of these enforcers are raking in - over half a mil for one guy! 
. The program's effectiveness is pretty much nullified when it's not addressing the root issue.
... that's like 10 times more than the number of people who got hurt from the bounty hunter program. It just doesn't add up! 
.
. I mean, $1 million for reporting idling trucks? It's a no-brainer! Who wouldn't wanna be part of an "environmental occupation" 
? But seriously, it's crazy that some people are calling it out for being skewed towards wealthier areas. I get why they're saying that air pollution affects everyone equally, not just the hipsters in Williamsburg 
.
. But at the same time, if someone's gonna be making six figures for doing their civic duty, I ain't mad at 'em 
!
! It's like they're just making a quick buck off people's concern for the environment, but it's not even targeted at the communities that need it most 
. We need a more systemic solution to address air pollution, not just a bunch of rich people making money off of it 
so NYC is basically paying people to take pics of trucks idling in rich neighborhoods and raking in the cash 
And don't even get me started on how some of these bounty hunters are getting paid out huge sums without being transparent about it. Come on, NYC! Let's get back to what this program was originally about: making a real difference in our air quality, not just lining our pockets with cash 
! They're basically just cashing in on people who care about the environment 
. It's like they're more interested in lining their own pockets than making a real difference 
.
. But at the same time, I'm all about critiquing the system, you know? 
. I mean, where are all these poor communities who actually need the help? It's like, hello! We should be working together to solve this pollution problem, not lining our pockets with cash 
. i mean, if the program was really about environmental justice, wouldn't we see more action in low-income areas where air pollution affects people most? it's like, just 'cause you're wealthy and can afford to report idling vehicles doesn't mean your community is being taken care of