Cops in coverup – of own license plates
Scores of NYPD cops have installed illegal flash-reflecting plastic covers on their personal-vehicle license plates that can thwart toll and traffic cameras — and officials said a crackdown is under way.
An “Inside Edition” investigation shared exclusively with The Post found covers on the plates of more than 100 cars displaying NYPD placards parked outside station houses and courthouses around the city.
The covers, which can be purchased online for as little as $6, allow the plates to remain visible but hide plate numbers in pics taken by toll and red-light cameras.
NYPD officials admitted the covers have been an issue and said they’re “working to address” it.
“The department has instructed precinct commanders to ensure officers in their commands are complying with traffic laws and internal guidelines on licenseplate covers,” NYPD spokesman Peter Donald said.
“Just this week, there were several spot inspections in lower Manhattan to ensure personal vehicles of police officers are following traffic laws.”
Donald added that earlier this week, about a dozen cops were ticketed for having the covers on their plates.
In addition to the statutory fines — which range from $25 to $200 — violators on the force could face command discipline such as forfeiting vacation days, he said.
An “Inside Edition” reporter confronted one driver whose car was parked outside 1 Police Plaza and had an NYPD placard in his window and covers on his front and rear plates.
When asked if he knew he was breaking the law with the covers, the driver essentially conceded he’d been caught red-handed, saying, “I’m going to take them off.”
He then used a screwdriver to remove them on camera. Another driver, who admitted to a reporter that he’s a cop, insisted the plastic covers on his plates don’t allow him to skip paying tolls, but he refused to comment — or even roll down his window — when asked if the practice is illegal. More than half of the cars “Inside Edition” located with the illegal covers were parked around 1 Police Plaza. Several more were found outside the Seventh Precinct station house on the Lower East Side. A reporter also confronted the driver of an SUV displaying a federal-officer placard, and asked why he was “hiding” his plate. That officer slammed his door and refused to answer questions. A law-enforcement source said a memo was sent around in December telling cops to “correct” any issues with their license plates.