Eyes on the Street: Parking Placard Unicorn Spotted on Smith Street
Photo: Justin Pollock
Speaking at a Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce event this week, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill fielded questions about placard abuse on Atlantic Avenue, which has been a drag on Downtown Brooklyn businesses for years.
O'Neill promised to do something about it. From the Brooklyn Eagle:
Businesses on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill have complained that they are losing customers because so many city workers are using phony permits and other city ID to park for free all day, according to the Atlantic Avenue BID, the organization that represents more 300 businesses along the avenue.
“I’ll have a conversation with [Deputy Inspector] Sergio Centa of the 84th Precinct and rectify that,” O’Neill promised. “My own precinct up in the 44, we had a similar problem …. We cleaned up the situation. I’ll talk to Serge,” he said.
It looks like O'Neill and Serge had that talk.
Reader Justin Pollock snapped these pics this morning on Smith Street, which crosses Atlantic at the Brooklyn House of Detention. Some of the cited vehicles had Department of Correction placards, while others had clothing bearing the DOC shield placed on dashboards. “I counted 15 tickets just on the east side of the street,” Pollock told us in an email.
We'll see if the 84th Precinct will keep up enforcement, or if O'Neill will take other steps to finally address the illegal parking scourge. But it's another sign that NYPD can curb placard abuse when it wants to.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Pols Detail ‘Road Map’ For Safe Streets in Western Queens
A group of western Queens lawmakers released a plan for street safety projects they want to see before 2030.
Tuesday’s Headlines: Restorative (Traffic) Justice Edition
Two stories highlighted a restorative justice program that allows traffic crash victims and perpetrators the chance to meet face-to-face. Plus more news.
Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud
The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.
Fed Panel Wants to Confront the Role of Aggressive Auto Advertising in U.S. Road Deaths
A horrific car crash has federal safety officials calling for systematic responses to traffic violence — including the aggressive car ads that may inspire motorists to hit the gas.
A ‘Giving Tuesday’ Streetsblog Primer
Before we ask for your donation, let us prove to you that we're worthy of it!
