Mr. Dick, why will you not understand the simple concept of a SEZ. Perhaps you are hoping to shame the 19th pct into getting rid of it's SEZ. That is quite ridiculous Mr. Dick.
Love the new pictures by the way.

Even in a SEZ parking in a NO STANDING ANYTIME zone is not OK. Perhaps you need to brush up on your scoff-law.

Enforcement= park anywhere even if it's illegal and claim it's not

These anonymous commenters who like to mock posts on this site as futile are just running scared. There is undeniable progress on placard abuse in the 5th Pct, (http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/10/eyes-on-the-street-inspector-yee-tows-his-own/), and elsewhere. NYPD DOES "tow its own." And--(what a coincidence!)--after years of abuse, change suddenly occurs at the same time uncivilservants.org comes on line. It's just a matter of time before change comes to a precinct near you. Keep those posts (NYPD and other agencies) coming!

I believe the new Deputy Inspector at the fifth precinct took over and started acting on neighborhood parking complaints well before this web site started operating. To think there's a connection with this site is a leap of faith.

#7 -- It's hard to pull everything apart and say "this is the cause". The Above the Law study by TA preceeded the 5th precinct towing. Of course, neighborhood groups all over the city were integral participants in/instigators of that study. The new towing campaign did in fact start before the website was launched, but it's also clear that the website provides continued support and political cover for additional towing.

Why do some violation posts allow comments and some do not?

I'm wondering if a civilian were to park his vehicle in the same non-SEZ parking area as all these uncivil servants are and he were to get a ticket (and towed) and they were not, then what kind of recourse would he have in terms of filing a lawsuit against the city for unequal treatment under the law and perhaps bias and discrimination lawsuits?

I know that just because these uncivil servants park their vehicles does not excuse his actions, but if he is being singled-out because he is a civilian and they afre not then I believe that consitutes some type of discrimination/bias.

Monet talks, bulldung walks, and many times this city need to see $ signs before anthing is done.

Just wondering?

doitt,
C.O. Yee did start enforcing before the website went live, though you'll see in the memo to desk officers that T.A. is a good excuse/cover for action. And you're right, the community has been complaining vociferously starting a few months after 9/11, when the parking mess deteriorated significantly (this was also after Commish Kelly had been rigorously enforcing the No Permit Zone ban that covers most of Downtown Manhattan).

The whole reason that T.A. got involved in the campaign to start with was because of community groups in Chinatown. They deserve all the credit for making this a big issue, for sure.

Solution to all:

DOT should consider add some new signs like:
No Standing/Stopping/Parking Anytime Except NYPD/FDNY Permit

Simple problem needs simple solution to solve it.

NO MORE COMPLAINT

I think a much better solution is these people learn how to use public transportation.

No Standing Anytime within a SEZ is 100% fine. Its the equivalent of having a NSA except police vehicles sign. Its not a busstop, hydrant, crosswalk, or cut curb.

#14 is completely false according to the NYC DOT. It's only ok if the permit is Unrestricted and on official duty. NSA's are generally used at bus stops, hydrants, crosswalks and curb cuts, or other places it would be unsafe to block such as tight or blind corners.

Folks lets be resonable. If the DOT deemed an area had to be NSA there was a safety reason for it. Otherwise they would just make it No Parking, or unrestricted.

I've read through the fairly ridiculous arguments law enforcement personnel have offered in defense of their law-breaking, and they appear to boil down to:

1) I am a cop, therefore the laws do not apply to me.
2) I live far away from where I work, so I should be allowed to drive there and park wherever I want.
3) My job is hard, so the laws shouldn't apply to me.

All are nonsense. Lots of New Yorkers have hard jobs. Lots of us live far away from where we work. If I decide to move to Massachusetts, does that mean I should be allowed to commute by car and park it on the sidewalk in front of my midtown office building? If your house is too far from the precinct, do what lots of other people have to do to keep their jobs: move and take the subway.

Only if your midtown office says # Precinct above the door. ;)

#9 -- I think we just got a new feature, to turn comments off on posts. I haven't used it yet. Which posts?

#12 -- the key thing about changed signage is that it requires a review process, in which the needs of the PD are weighed against other needs of the community. It also makes clear how much parking is devoted to a particular agency. In fact, this process is what the PD contract calls for, rather than the amorphous, unilateral implementation of an "SEZ."

#16 While some of our arguments are poor don't ever compare your job to mine. When was the last time you had a knife pulled out on you? Tonight that happened to me. So while some of the abuses are bad, mainly hydrants, I think that we should be given some leeway when it comes to areas that don't create a hazard. The city signed off on our contracts that stipulate that they have to provide parking and the city does not provide enough legal spots for us to park, so that is why we have SEZ's and we don't get ticketed. If it pisses you off so much then get on city hall's back to start providing adequate parking.

In the 80's my father was a delivery driver for many year in NYC. He had his share of knives pulled on him, money stolen (which was his livelihood) and oh wait he was shot and killed in the Bronx where his body was on a sidewalk for nearly four hours in the middle of the night until someone found him.

So don't try to blame a dangerous job on why anybody should be "allowed" to park illegally. Where were the cops that night? Why didn't the cops ever find anyone involved? Why after 17 years is this still an open case?

Civil servants all volunteer to do their jobs. Nobody held a knife (pun 100% intended) to you and forced you to take these jobs! AND DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE YOUR JOB TO ANYONE ELSE'S IN AN EFFORT TO DEFEND YOURSELVES! You should be ashamed. At least if you get injured or killed there are plenty of benefits for your family in line. My sisters and I got nothing except lost memories.

Hey Dick, did u like the cones we put up on 66 street that stretch from 2nd avenue to park avenue? the C.O of the 19th granted us permission to do this in order to prevent bogus permit holders from parking here. In an area with limited space, we have to do what we have to do in order to secure our members a contractual perk. God, I ove our C.O. Thanks to you Dick, our SEZ has become stronger and larger than it ever was. Anyone not in possession of a real NYPD parking permit will be summonsed towed.
Thanks again Dick.

The contract doesn't guarantee parking:

PBA Contract:

It is the intent of the Department to make available without liability to the City, City-owned property and on-street location adjacent to, near or part of police stations or other command locations, as parking facilities for the personal cars of employees. A single designated representative of the Department and a single designated representative of the PBA will jointly request of the appropriate City agency designation of such locations. This expressed intent of the Department does not imply any obligation or commitment on the part of the City or the Department to make available any such location or parking facilities. Where such property is provided and so designated for this purpose, the City shall not be obligated to improve the same, nor to maintain it for parking. The City need not continue to provide such property for parking when the City, in its discretion, decides to make a different use of it.

All inquiries or complaints from employees concerning the subject matter or application of this section shall be referred directly to the PBA for investigation and review. The PBA shall screen and thereafter shall present only those inquiries or complaints which it believes are justified to the Commanding Officer of the Office of Labor Relations of the Police Department, or the Commanding Officer's designee, for discussion and possible adjustment.

This Section shall not be subject to the grievance procedure.

UFA:

Article XXVI - Parking Facilities

To the maximum extent practicable and consistent with City policy, parking spaces up to a maximum of six spaces per company, will be made available for the cars of employees adjacent to, part of, or as close as possible to firehouses, and such spaces will be marked appropriately. The Department will issue appropriate parking permits for the designated spaces. The UFA shall notify the Department, the Transportation Administration, and the Commissioner of Labor Relations of any requests for parking spaces. The City shall have 10 days to respond to such requests. If the response is a denial, it shall be specific as to the reasons. If the UFA disagrees with any such denial, it shall inform the Commissioner on Labor Relations as to the specific reasons for its disagreement, and may refer the matter to the Impartial Panel for advisory arbitration

There seems to be precious little self-enforcement in the SEZs. Maybe they really stand for "selfish enforcement zones?

I've had lots of knives and guns pulled on me. At least you have the luxury of carrying a gun.

It seems the key words are "does not imply any obligation or commitment on the part of the City or the Department to make available any such location or parking facilities"

So all of these posts about contractual perks come from either stupid or lying?

My condolences on your loss #24

I will be going into work soon and I will be parking in these very spots. I sure hope that my car makes this site today. I feel jealous that I have been excluded.HAH!
And they say that they will change this sort of parking. LOL.
;)

If having a dangerous job is a criteria for illegal parking, then a Forester(tree work) should be permitted to park where ever he wants. It's listed as the most dangerous job in America. Taxi driver finishes the top ten. Police Officer didn't make the list. However Sanitation worker did.
Don't use that as an excuse.

I should be able to park on the sidewalk in front of City Hall with that reasoning.

I often found myself between armed felons and armed angry police, neither of whom wanted me there.

Sometimes I'm amazed I made it out after 20 because of all the corruption. Book to follow. Cops won't like it.

As far as #30 and keeping the plates off the site, he's just poking a thumb in the eye of that rule because he's actually inviting revenge.

Hate to run into him and his attitude on the wrong end of a code 3 radio run.

What is a code 3? Must be another buff with a scanner.

code three i beleive is LAPD equivalent of a high priority in progress job.

Why is that a No Standing Zone. Why don't we try to get these zones changed so people can park there all the time? In the meantime, the citizen that parked there is a hero for his civil disobedience against the Government Fools that designate No Standing Zones in the first place.

19th Precinct:

I've noticed that the north side of the street on 66th street between Lexington and Park avenues is a "No Standing: Except Government Vehicles." I understand that the armory takes up that whole block but I've been living in this neighborhood for twenty years and have never seen that block filled with more than five cars with the "Park Avenue Armory" permit. You guys should just get DOT to change the signage for the eastern half of the block to "No Standing Except Police Dept. Vehicles). Also, to shut all the critics up, you might as well do the same thing on those little islands between 2nd and 3rd avenues on 66th street. But hey, these are just suggestions, I'm on PD's side on this one, guys. Perhaps you could be avoiding parking on the hydrant but I could understand if you were late for your 4 by 12 or something and had to park quickly. Oh, and to the previous comment about "No Standing Anytime" regulations being not covered by the SEZ, they should be.