Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
NYPD

NYPD to NYPD: Stop Breaking Parking Laws!

Maybe they’ll stop. Maybe.

Reminder to NYPD officers: All that illegal and unsafe parking you're doing is illegal and unsafe.

That's the point behind an "administrative information" memo that went out to all cops on Tuesday, reiterating that "absent 'urgent or necessary police action,' there is no valid verifiable defense for parking any vehicle operated by a member of the service, on or off duty, with or without a department-issued parking permit" in bus stops, bike lanes, crosswalks, fire zones, no standing areas and other areas where it is obviously illegal and unsafe to park.

https://twitter.com/NYScanner/status/1346611522534072320

The memo was greeted with guffaws on social media, where advocates for safe streets have long pointed out that cops are well aware that they are not allowed to park in such areas, yet do so regularly. And they do so with impunity, given that the NYPD has consistently not punished repeat offenders, as Streetsblog reported last year.

In addition, Mayor de Blasio's budget cuts this year eliminated two units that were in charge of going after placard abusers.

"We expect this will go down the same way that it always does," the keeper of the seminal Placard Abuse Twitter account told Streetsblog on Wednesday morning.

Plenty of people on Twitter agreed out that it's unlikely anything will change, given how NYPD officers have institutionalized their dangerous and illegal behavior and are almost never punished (the mayor doesn't even crack down on cops who have more than a dozen speeding tickets on their personal vehicles):

"lmao how about every square block around a precinct in brooklyn where theres no sidewalk anymore," added @ResSipsa on Twitter.

And an Upper West Sider, Ryan Frank, added, "@NYPD20Pct, please stop parking in the turn lane on Columbus and 81st. You guys have allocated space for parking. Turn lanes are not for you to park your personal vehicles. Doing so blocks the view of the bike lane and creates a safety hazard."

The NYPD did not respond to an email seeking comment about the memo.

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