SCOUTing out problems on our streets

Since Mayor Bloomberg unveiled the Street Conditions Observation Unit last summer, inspectors have logged 45,750 offenses - and at least 55% of them have been addressed, officials said.

Mayor's crew hunts for problems plaguing city streets

Some New Yorkers find the unfixed problems frustrating, but the city declares the program a success.

"We've found ways to improve the repair process," Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler said. "This stops problems from ping-ponging between two agencies."

Bloomberg created SCOUT after making a few calls to 311 when he stumbled on something that needed attention.

Rather than relying on angry residents to phone in complaints, he hired 15 inspectors to comb through about 300 city miles a day searching for problems. They log each grievance and location into a BlackBerry and send the information to the appropriate agency.