John Doherty, former DSNY commissioner, dies at 84

Former New York City’s Sanitation Department (DSNY) Commissioner John Doherty has died, according to the agency. He was 84 years old.

“New York’s [s]trongest mourn[s] the loss of former Commissioner John Doherty, a hometown hero who led our department from 1994-1998 and from 2002-2014,” DSNY states on Twitter. “May his memory be a blessing to his family, the women and men of DSNY and the New Yorkers he faithfully served for over 50 years.”

Doherty’s career spanned more than five decades and eight mayoral administrations, SILive.com reports. He began his career in 1960 as a sanitation worker before becoming the agency’s commissioner in 1994 under then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

He retired in 1998 after 38 years at DSNY; however, he returned to the department’s top post in 2002 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and spent the next 12 years leading the agency through a transition away from the Fresh Kills landfill and battles against intense snowstorms.

In his second tenure, SILive.com reports he “took action against litterbugs after tapping anonymous volunteers to file reports against trash-throwers, including information on the license plates of guilty parties.”

To read more about Doherty’s career, click here.