Skip to content

NYPD Arrests 7,000 Cops in Overnight Crackdown on Placard Abusers

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill ordered the round-up after an internal review revealed that every single NYPD officer had been found to have illegally parked with a department-issued placard. 
NYPD Arrests 7,000 Cops in Overnight Crackdown on Placard Abusers
And to think, this was our April Fool's Day image two years ago.

Please note: This story, posted at 12:01 a.m. on April 1, was an April Fool’s satire.

Thousands of police officers were rounded up and arrested in overnight raids as the NYPD finally moved against cops who abuse their parking privileges.

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill ordered the round-up after an internal review revealed that every single NYPD officer had been found to have illegally parked with a department-issued placard.

“Enough is enough,” O’Neill said early Monday, April 1. “Today, we have sent a message that we will arrest cops who park illegally all over the place with no regard for their communities, you know, on sidewalks or in ‘No standing’ zones, or in bike lanes, which is pretty much every cop.”

O’Neill initially ordered his subordinates to arrest every cop who had been found to have parked illegally in the last 12 months, but he had to backtrack and focus on the worst offenders when he was told that there would be no cops left.

Mayor de Blasio excused the arrested officers’ behavior, reiterating that police officers often drive long distances and work long hours for the city.

“These people are heroes,” the mayor said. “Heroes who should be able to park wherever they want.”

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Hochul Could Cut ‘Runaway’ Crash Lawsuits With Default Motorist Liability

April 16, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines: The Last Gasp of the Bikelash Edition

April 16, 2026

Mamdani’s DOT Responds to Astoria Bike Lane Backlash … With an Even Longer Bike Lane

April 15, 2026

Ask An Insurance Industry Insider: Safe Streets Are The Best Way To Bring Down Insurance Costs

April 15, 2026

Council Leader Urges City To Activate Ferry To NJ Before World Cup

April 15, 2026
See all posts