nyc cracks down on cops parking illegally

[ducatiz]

it's about damn time

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07102008/news/regionalnews/nypds_parking_perk_blitz_bags_1_000_cops_119266.htm

I have to say I am surprised that Bloomberg is willing to piss off the police unions by doing this, but then again, the only time a NYC mayor EVER gets anything like this done is in his second term (i.e. no re-election)

NYPD'S PARKING-PERK BLITZ BAGS 1,000 COPS
By MURRAY WEISS, Criminal Justice Editor


Posted: 3:23 am
July 10, 2008

An NYPD crackdown on illegally parked cars boldly sporting city, state and federal placards on their dashboards has resulted in 2,400 summonses - more than 1,000 of them issued to city cops and detectives, The Post has learned.

Over the last three months, special teams of Internal Affairs officers have scoured congested streets in lower Manhattan and around government hubs in outer boroughs, searching for vehicles whose drivers abuse their parking-placard perks and slapping tickets on 2,488 cars.

Topping the list of offenders were New York's Finest, hit with 1,053 summonses for leaving their cars in crosswalks, near hydrants or bus stops or in "no standing" zones, mostly around courthouses and station houses.

Federal agents and other US government personnel were the second-worst abusers, with 282 tickets - most carrying a $115 fine.

Courthouse officers and employees received 275 summonses.

FDNY members were hit with 122 tickets for abusing their department or union placards, and New York's Strongest were caught 14 times misusing Sanitation Department permits. Education Department staffers racked up 53 tickets, and Correction Department employees got 120 summonses.

"The [placards] were never designed to permit the type of illegal parking that these summonses and tows reflect," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne.

In addition to tagging placard abusers, the IAB watchdogs also issued summonses to anyone else they saw violating city parking regulations.

The cops ticketed another 264 vehicles bearing "official" or "government" license plates that were illegally parked and didn't have placards.

They also wrote 878 summonses for cars that belonged to everyday motorists and for commercial vehicles.

In total, the IAB cops have issued summonses to 3,530 illegally parked vehicles, and towed 512 of them to city pounds during their rounds since the crackdown began April 1.

News of the crackdown and the city's efforts to roll back the number of permits doled out to government employees has apparently had an impact on people trying to use phony or imitation placards. IAB cops haven't spotted any fakes since the program's initial week, when a retired sergeant was charged with having a phony placard.

The parking-placard issue came to a head in January, when Mayor Bloomberg - pushing for congestion pricing to reduce traffic in lower Manhattan - ordered a minimum 20 percent across-the-board reduction in the prized permits after getting fed up with stories of rampant abuses.

A City Hall study found that there were an astounding 144,160 municipal-government permits floating around the city - allowing motorists to park just about anywhere except for hydrants and bus stops - and that privileged parkers were creating havoc, especially downtown. 

City Hall ordered the number of permits slashed to 80,770 at 68 agencies that were manufacturing their own with little oversight. 

On May 1, the mayor's office further reduced the number to 54,891, and placed control of the gilded system under the Department of Transportation and the NYPD.

Browne predicted the crackdown will further reduce abuses. "We are already seeing fewer violations," he said.

[Sinister]

There's no mention of diplomatic infractions; I wonder what those numbers are.

[cyrus buelton]

There's no mention of diplomatic infractions; I wonder what those numbers are.

I am not sure any of us can count that high

[Sinister]

I am not sure any of us can count that high

I'm confident you can't...damn accountants.

[ducatiz]

There's no mention of diplomatic infractions; I wonder what those numbers are.

google "diplomat unpaid tickets nyc"

something like 80 million $

about $120 per ticket.

[He Man]

google "diplomat unpaid tickets nyc"

something like 80 million $

about $120 per ticket.

was in the papers, i think egyp owes us ALOT of money.

[dcal]

I'd bet JimmyJustice had something to do with it.  Anyway, all created equal and such... It's about time.

[hbliam]

Here in CA we would be in IA so fast your head would spin if we pulled that.

That being said:

"Topping the list of offenders were New York's Finest, hit with 1,053 summonses for leaving their cars in crosswalks, near hydrants or bus stops or in "no standing" zones, mostly around courthouses and station houses."

Sounds like the unions need to lobby to provide adequate parking for their employees. When I go to court in LA, parking is so bad we just have another unit drop us at a metro link station in Long Beach and take the train in. In Long Beach the court parking is also inadequate. It's BS to summons (ie:order) an Officer to court and then expect him to pay for parking. They certainly shouldn't have to pay to park for work (the "station houses").

[ducatiz]

Sounds like the unions need to lobby to provide adequate parking for their employees. When I go to court in LA, parking is so bad we just have another unit drop us at a metro link station in Long Beach and take the train in. In Long Beach the court parking is also inadequate. It's BS to summons (ie:order) an Officer to court and then expect him to pay for parking. They certainly shouldn't have to pay to park for work (the "station houses").

if everyone else who works at the courthouse pays, then the cops should too. 

the summons argument doesn't work. if i receive a summons to court, i have to pay to park.  the officer is being paid to be there, but i am not.  if he wants to claim it as a business expense against income tax, then he can.

in NYC there is no excuse though.  almost all cops should not drive to work at all.  the subway can drop 80% of them within 4-5 blocks of their station.  at #1 police plaza, next to the manhattan courts, there are at least 5 different train lines that stop.

[Scottish]

I find it amusing and appropriate that they get a taste of the hassles they put us normal citizens through, and I feel they should be exposed to it. A group who is above the laws they enforce tends to be jaded and unsympathetic. They will also be more prone to legislating arcane and ridiculous laws because they are not directly effected by them.

[Monstermash]

One word...WOW!

[hbliam]

if everyone else who works at the courthouse pays, then the cops should too. 

the summons argument doesn't work. if i receive a summons to court, i have to pay to park.  the officer is being paid to be there, but i am not.  if he wants to claim it as a business expense against income tax, then he can.

in NYC there is no excuse though.  almost all cops should not drive to work at all.  the subway can drop 80% of them within 4-5 blocks of their station.  at #1 police plaza, next to the manhattan courts, there are at least 5 different train lines that stop.

It's absolutely proper to allow them to park free. I get called to court about once a week. Detectives, gangs, and other special details get called in almost daily. Taxes would only reimburse them about 30% or so. If the cop is on his days on he is getting straight time. Why should he have to pay to be at work? If he is on his days off he gets overtime but that is to compensate him for working over 40 hours, not to mention not getting a day off. Again, no reason he should be forced to pay to park when he's forced to go to work. Should we force them to pay for the fuel to run the patrol cars? Run down to Staples to get paper for the reports he has to write? The citizens want the criminals off the street, and processed through court, they have to pay for the expense of doing that.

If I lived there, I would take advantage of the public transport like you suggested.

[ducatiz]

It's absolutely proper to allow them to park free. I get called to court about once a week. Detectives, gangs, and other special details get called in almost daily. Taxes would only reimburse them about 30% or so. If the cop is on his days on he is getting straight time. Why should he have to pay to be at work? If he is on his days off he gets overtime but that is to compensate him for working over 40 hours, not to mention not getting a day off. Again, no reason he should be forced to pay to park when he's forced to go to work. Should we force them to pay for the fuel to run the patrol cars? Run down to Staples to get paper for the reports he has to write? The citizens want the criminals off the street, and processed through court, they have to pay for the expense of doing that.

If I lived there, I would take advantage of the public transport like you suggested.

Point is, when I drive to work, no one pays for my parking.  If I am required to drive to court, no one pays my parking there either.

We're all forced to go to work.  Parking is part of the cost of living.  If you can't afford it, take the bus. 

[hbliam]

Point is, when I drive to work, no one pays for my parking.  If I am required to drive to court, no one pays my parking there either.
We're all forced to go to work.  Parking is part of the cost of living.  If you can't afford it, take the bus. 

On this coast we have enough parking for personal cars at the station. If we didn't and had to buy a monthly pass or something that would be, as you say, part of the cost of living. After that it's on the City to pay for other parking expenses. If in the course of my duties I have to go to a building other then my regular duty station why should I be expected to pay to park? Ecsp. in NY where you guys grossly underpay your cops. And when a private lawyer goes to court on a case at $100-$500 an hour, yes , he can pay for his parking. If he's the plantiff he filed the case anyway so it's on him, if he's the defense he bills the client for the expenses anyway. Juries here get free parking. Charging your cops to park at court is like charging our troops for the flight to Iraq.

Anyway...glad I don't have to pay a dime for parking anywhere I go. oops...cept the beach.

[Sinister]

if he's the defense he bills the client for the expenses anyway.

You forgot to mention that defense attorneys are scumbags.