Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bill de Blasio

108th Precinct Cracks Down on Sidewalk Parking — NYPD Placard Holders Not Included

Typical conditions outside the 108th Precinct in Long Island City. And every other NYPD station house. Image: Google Maps

The 108th Precinct, in Long Island City, wants locals to know police take illegal parking seriously, so long as the driver doesn't have a police placard.

All over the city, streets and sidewalks in the vicinity of NYPD precincts are jammed with illegally parked cars that belong to cops. Conditions outside 108th Precinct are particularly awful. Lined with combat-parked NYPD vehicles and cops' personal cars, the sidewalks on 50th Avenue between Vernon Boulevard and Fifth Street, where the station house is located, are virtually impassable.

After "numerous" complaints from residents and Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer's office, on Wednesday the precinct assured the public that it had gotten the message, announcing a ticket sweep.

But police only summonsed the handful of vehicles that didn't have placards. Macartney Morris, chair of the Transportation Alternatives Queens committee, counted four tickets among 30 to 40 cars parked on the sidewalk.

https://twitter.com/macartney/status/986730639180300294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

As of Thursday morning, tweeted Rodrigo Salazar, it was business as usual on 50th Avenue.

“The Patrol Guide specifically reminds officers there's no situation where they can use their placard to park on the sidewalk,” wrote watchdog @placardabuse. “Since the officers benefit from using their positions to break the law, this is clear-cut misconduct.”

Misconduct schmisconduct. A year into Mayor de Blasio's "crackdown," cops and other placard-holding city employees know they can still leave their personal vehicles anywhere they damn well please.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third. Ave Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts