That's not Brooklyn, it's Manhattan at the the 19th.

Call for a tow

Self-enforcement zone; I wonder how that came about.
In any event doesn't matter: The cop is at a hydrant and has made this his/her spot of choice.
This is illegal as is parking in the bus stop.

Just what are the borders of this self enforcement zone, Is it like area 51?

Take as many pictures as you like and email them to the daily news and post. Do not be surprised if they ignore them. During the great media blitz against illegal parking down in China Town a few months back did you not wonder why the media stayed away from the 1st and 5th precincts? I'll tell you why....................SEZ baby! Even they know not to bother.

But who am i to disuade you and waste your time.

Carry on :)

Yeah, a lot like Area 51. :-)

See http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/how_can_i_tell

NYPD Restricted (Self Enforcement Zone) Permits

Each NYPD precinct and division (e.g. Gang Unit, Transit Bureaus, Narcotics, etc) has the authority to obtain Restricted (aka Self Enforcement Zone) Permits, which are usually un-laminated and colored bright blue, pastel peach, or beige. The precinct or division name is at the bottom of the permit. These permits are only valid when used on the block faces immediately adjacent to the precinct or the division headquarters, and only in the parking spaces on the street (thus, painting parking spaces on sidewalks or in bus stops is illegal). If the permit is used anywhere outside the Self-Enforcement Zone, for example, an officer from the 84 th Precinct in Brooklyn uses his permit anywhere but in the 84 th Precinct Self Enforcement Zone, then it is illegal.

A complaint was also filed with 311.

I donlt think a permit allows for parking at a hydrant, just at any parking meter, NO STANDING TRUCK LOADING AND UNLOADING, snd any NO PARKING SIGN.

As someone posted elsewhere the mayor is ultimately responsible and perhaps a flood of 311 complaints will get his attention.

So as I understand it the 19th precinct is located on east 67 street bewteen Lexington and Third Avenue. Exactly what would the borders of the zone be?
Fo instance that park on east 68th street from Park Ave to second Ave and also all over east 66th street in truck loadong zones.

How can we get an official document that has the details of where an NYPD restricted placard is valid. My community biard seems to be very misinformed based on teh information on your chart.

Thanks for bringing up the 84 precinct. The precinct in the hasidic communities have the bad habit of handing out parking permits to civilians who have no right possessing them. We are talking 10 permits being handed out to who knows who. This is a little know sectret one which I am glad to divulge especially when these individuals are the biggest abuser of the parking permits outside of the SEZ of any precinct.

Brooklyn civilian permit holders are the biggest permit abusers. You can tell who they are because they tend to make their personal cars look like unmarked vehs. It is a dead give away for any cop and now I am making you privy to this information.

These individuals have no business possessing our parking permits. They call the mayor and he personally gives the order to each command to dispense these permits to non-NYPD folk.

Do not get me started on Hatzolah and their abuse of traffic and parking regulations.

Permits tend to land in the hands of clergy in all commands... theoretically to enable parking for them at precinct council meetings... they are supposed to be used only in the SEZ and this is explained to them.... we all know how theory and reality differ.

I once spotted an SUV with a full light package in the grill and an Official NYPD Permit (not restricted) being used by hasidic clery... in the south bronx... you will never stop the abuse by certain members of that community... their influence runs too deep.

I am in no way painting the whole with the same brush... but they have a very influential minority that is responsible for alot of abuse of VAS plates and NYPD permits... those few play the system and play the system well

Hatzolah should obey the law also.

"Dick"? I don't think anybody has the authority to allow cops to park in a hydrant.

Parking at the 19th for officers is one of the worst in the city... I believe the russian consulate is directly across from the command...

The Russian Consulate has an indoor garage, next excuse.

Musha, there's also apparently a clergy permit, but we haven't seen a lot of them....

I thought this was interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatzolah

In theory, it sounds kind of cool, and it reminded me of an approach I read about here: http://randomreality.blogware.com/ (UK ambulance driver's blog)

I can see the potential for abuse, but we haven't run into any of these (I don't think) other than one set of VAS plates.

We have a problem on east 68th street between Lexington and Third Avenue with the Park East Synogogue. Again if enforcemet did theor job, they could nit get away with putting scraps op paper on their dashes.

http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/post/index/558

I would suggest that respect is typically earned. Behavior such as this and an attitude of entotlement such as I have seen from the apologists does nothing but breed contempt.

I would suggest a better way to handle this if in fact the city is obligated to provide parking is with the appropriate red specific signs as are near the armory on east 67th street. This area 51 denial is the wrong way to deal with this. To this day I have seen nothing oficial regarding parking for NYPD private commuting vehicles, just conjecture. based on my reading of the information provided on this site regarding legality, the 19th precinct and other goverenment agencoes are in violation of their parking privileges.

BK posted this elsewhere wher a cop and a hydraht was involved. I thibk it is worth reposting here:

I think the police generally do a good job. This has nothing to do with giving your blood for the city. You're parking illegally. Period. If you don't want your vehicle photographed, don't make a spectacle of it by blocking a hydrant. You get real. Don't whine when YOU get caught doing something illegal.

And we have nothing better to do? I suppose that means that police who ticket illegally parked cars also have nothing better to do. Why do police ticket the cars of ordinary citizens if it's alright to park at a hydrant? You are so laughably hypocritical. Stop wasting space here if you're going to continue with this goofy blather.

I've yet to see a clergy permit that was issued by my dept (if they exist they must be truly rare). I have seen clergy with permits issued by my dept... note the difference.

You want a placard that says "Clergy"? Get ordained online and order the package. Be warned that those placards are not honored in NYC and hold no official weight. My brother-in-law was towed despite his investment...or investiture... but he rarely listens to me anyway.

BTW, i'm not whining about a cop getting caught for parking on a hydrant but what the misguided citizen did after taking the pic.

Trust me, you'll be getting pics of VAS abuse... if only from frustrated cops that are tired of being told that the VAS plates are off limits when it comes to enforcement. That's a whole other issue tho. Personal vehicles that legally have full police light packages installed should never be legal... but in this case it is...

Russian consulate has consulate only parking on its side of the block, garage or no... i don't work there tho, thankfully

There is dedicated parking at the armory a block west so again a moot point and the consulate uses the garage. It is a bus street so busses must pass.

This is for all the bright bulbs asking "why is the photographed car parked where it is?". For the last time the area in and around the 19th pct is a Self Enforcement Zone. This means that a cop car with a legit parking permit in the window will not be ticketed "NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS". The SEZ's usually differs per command. One would assume that in a command like the 19th pct where thee is about 300 officers stationed that the SEZ would be considerable in size. Do the math people. How many cars fit on any given block. Multiply that by the number of cops at your precinct and then you will have the size of your SEZ.

What it all boils down to is that the cop parked 4 feet from the hydrant is doing nothing wrong especially since it is being done within the SEZ.
Why wont the jealous complainers realize that this is a contractual perk given to cops at every precinct. This is considered Contractual Immunity" for cops possessing the beloved NYPD parking permit. Get used to it. If you are not a member then your out of luck and rightfully so.

This same person continues to spread misinformation about SEZs. He's right, that nobody will get a ticket. However, this site isn't necessarily about people getting tickets, it's about drawing attention to illegal and unsafe activities by civil servants.

What he doesn't seem to realize is that (1) whatever the contract says, it doesn't guarantee the right to park in front of fire hydrants in the SEZ and (2) even if the C.O. says you can park in front of the hydrant in an SEZ, the C.O. is wrong, and this misconduct can be dealt with.

I do agree that within SEZs, it's not the individual MOS who is at fault. My understanding is that folks get told by their bosses where they can park, and they park there. So the problem has to be dealt with at a higher level, and that's what we're planning to do.

I also find it really funny that someone who thinks we have too much time on our hands to deal with this "trivial" problem has the time & energy to post the same, pointless criticism over and over again.

Interesting as Inspector Murtagh of the 19th said that this is not permotted.

Sad but true.

I recall in the mid 80's, those in our neighborhood tried to get rid of the same abusive police officers hording all the prime parking spaces in and around our particular precinct. The powers that be told us that they would look into it. We took it all the way to Mayor Kach's and Mayor Dinkin's office doors and nothing happened with it. 20 some odd years later and this generation is now trying to deal with this. Frankly, after a while we gave up in our neighborhood and we learned to live with it. In the long run it allowed me to keep what little hair I still had on my head. What I learned was that it is better to have a cop as a friend than to have a cop as an enemy.

Salvatore Dean

SEZ: Because I SEZ so. How do you know the Unrestricted permit was real? My Jewish brother in law says the longer the beard, the bigger the crook. He said it, not me.

There's a reason why they call the 66 "Fort Surrender" They should crack down on all abuses, but as was written, there are too many with "pull". This is a corrupt town of many faiths and colors.

A cop 4 feet from a hydrant IS doing something wrong

Dear #39;
Wise man once say,

I am but a little old man that has learned quite a bit during the years.
Allow me to share this term with you:

"Pyrrhic victory"

Which means – a victory or goal achieved at too great a cost.

If you manage to accomplish that which no other before has accomplished then you might find yourself realizing that your victory was in vain.
It is better to have a police officer as a friend instead as having him as an enemy.

Salvatore, Dean

the police should ticket all double parked vehicles during alternate side parking especially on the upper west side.

why should people be allowed to double park their cars? isnt that breaking the law? and we need to enforce the law fairly.

I guess we should all throw up our hands and move.

#43, your logic is tremendously disturbing. When Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat for a white man, she made an enemy. But the results of her efforts are staggering. She helped inspire a movement. Many enemies were made along the way, but that was of far less concern than the failure to reach a goal, and improve the lives of millions. When Oliver Brown won the right to send his Black daughter, Linda, to an all white school during a time and in a place where such actions were vehemently opposed, enemies were made, but a greater goal was in sight. Thirty years ago, researchers believed an AIDS cure would never be found. Today, science is far less daunted by that prospect.

I am not attempting to compare the gravity of these examples to that of the issue of parking permit abuse in the city; all three are far more serious. But the cases do share a similarity--they were (are) all daunting tasks, but the groups seeking change did not simply quit because somebody said it couldn't be done. Inaction is far worse than failure.

Your statement that "it is better to have a police officer as a friend instead of having him as an enemy" insinuates that you harbor a deep mistrust of the NYPD. As if a concerned group of citizens pointing out a systemic abuse of power, and attempting to hold civil servants to standards that at least somewhat reflect those to which civilians are held would enrage NYPD to the extent that its brave, generally hard-working officers would become enemies of the people. What are you really saying Salvatore? Your words belie your true views.

BK, you consistently make excellent observations and posts. I wish I had your way with words.

There is no saftey hazzard here - the pump is fully accessible. You people are simply jealous. And #44 is 100% correct. Why do precincts all over the city allow CITIZENS to double park on many streets during alternate side??? They should tow and ticket everyone based on logic demonstrated here.

If you want to point out ridiculous abuses (like a corvette parked under car cover for weeks or blocking a bus stop, handicapped parking, hydrant, etc...) go ahead - but you undermine your credibility when you post every single 'technical' violation as though the end of the world is coming

#49, I agree with you that there are too many postings that highlight minor technical issues on this site. However, this is not a minor technicality. DOT explicitly states on its site that any parked car must be no less than 15 feet from either side of a hydrant. Access to the hydrant is only part of the issue. Firefighters need to be able to pull their trucks on to the sidewalk if necessary and have plenty of room to move their equipment from the street to the sidewalk.

Also, to say that we're jealous is just plain ridiculous. I don't even own a car, and I'm sure I'm not the only user of this site who doesn't. We simply do not want to see anyone egregiously ignoring the law and being let off the hook for it.

Unless the NYPD privately owned vehicles are made of special magical matter that allows matter to pass through 15 feet is the rule for all.

In fact there was an alarm at this location and I spoke with the fireman who could not get proper access to the hydrant and they were not amused.

gaze into the embers
http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/post/index/452

Oh come on - NYFD isnt going to be able to pull the truck up onto the curb here - you have scaffolding, mailboxes and the buildings overhang. There is ZERO saftey issue here.
Again you can focus on real issues or simply be outratged at every 'violation' and thereby destroy any credibility this movement has.

ENFORCE ALL VTL LAWS...NO EXCEPTIONS...All DOUBLE PARKED VEHICLES AS A RESULT OF ALTERNATE SIDE OF STREET PARKING SHOULD BE TICKETED....ESPECIALLY ON THE UPPER EAST AND WEST SIDE AND PARK SLOPE AND BROOKLYN HEIGHTS.

TAKE PHOTOS OF LAWBREAKING RESIDENTS OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. LETS POST THEM HERE.

ALSO MANY OF THESE RESIDENTS LIKE TO IDLE I THEIR CARS WAITING FOR THEIR KIDS FROM PRIVATE SCHOOL, THEY SHOULD BE TICKETED ALSO.

Actually, there is a no idling law posted around schools these days... private and public. Believe that became law due to asthma issues.

Anyhow, why the shouting?

#54, who are you yelling at?

#53, I think you should let FDNY make that judgement for itself. Furthermore, when a firehose is charged, it is extremely heavy and quite rigid. The car parked in that location can easily impinge upon the free movement of firefighters who are working with the hose. If you're saying that parking at hydrants should be allowed, I disagree. I deal with legal issues involved with municipal ordinances on a daily basis. Out of thousands of municipalities, I do not know of a single one that permits parking within 15 feet of hydrants.

What happens when you park too close to a hydrant:

http://www.buzzhumor.com/pictures/1203/Fire_hydrant_parking

The 15' is to err on the side of caution. With 15' the avg driver will give about 10-18 feet to the pump (since few pumps are marked with that nice yellow line to indicate the 15')

If they had made it 10' you would see numerous drivers leaving it at 7 feet or less.

Very few cops are anal enough to patrol with a 15' string with a loop at one end to attach to the hydrant screw... most eyeball or pace it out.

My string was 12' exactly... I always knew I had the offender by a good 3'...

54 is correct ticket all the double parkers when alt side street is in affect and they wait for the sweeper to come HEll ticket everyone

nice pic! as a stated elswhere... so that with a patrol car... first on scene ran in the building to get folks out... fd rolls up, rmp is on the pump, cops not to be found... two windows later the hose was hooked up

when doing the right thing isnt always doing the right thing ;)

Musha--I just saw your name mentioned in the Times from last month. We definitely need more moderate, cool heads like you around here.

Also, to any mods--why do you allow non-registered posts? It seems like that's where all the negativity comes from on both sides.

Be aware when rolling up on a fire DO NOT park in the hydrant or where the engines can't get in. (Seen it too many times, just not being aware)

49 & 53: There is a safety issue here. Since most hydrants have two openings, they point out at an anlge. This angle is in addition to the arc the hose makes. A minimum of 15 feet is needed for the engine to arc the hose and sometimes if they have to, hook to the hydrant itself.

Being mostly cops complaining, I feel you don't understand the 150 pounds of pressure that a 5 inch hose carries. There's enough pressure that a 4000 pound car can't flatten it when driving over it.

Blocking the hydrant is a serious offense. I've seen enough death from fire to tell you a hydrant is not to be messed with.

Why they don't make them at a taller or different angle, I don't know. I've seen some strange plumbing used to address the issue, but I don't know if it was dept issue.

As far as idling cars, summons them after 3 minutes. Don't threaten us with actually enforcing the law, we welcome it.

#62 Not everyone is willing (or able it seems)to learn from the experience of others... i've been foolish enough to run into more then one burning building... i'm not foolish enough to block the pump

#61 Not my best quote in the times ;) As for being moderate and cool? It's not always as easy as you think... there are certain posts I bypass... they aren't worth my time to get worked up over.

I can tell you that I take no relish is ahvingto put myself out there in an attempt to get this parking abuse nonsense resolved. Residents are being pushed out of their own neigborhoods by restricted parking areas that are abused. The correct way to deal with the NYPD issue is if in fact they are by some mysterious contact entitled to parking to set aside a legitamate red signed zone instead of the helter skelter nonsense we have today.

As for bus stops, hydrants, sidelwalks, crosswalks etc, there is no excuse. The regulation for everyone with cars made of materials from the planet Earth is 15 feet. If someone wants to get that reduced legally, go have at it, but the law is 15 feet.

The owner of this car made no attempt to look for a "legal" space ona Sunday and simply pulled right in. Even after a neighbor files a 311 complaint and with meters free on the block, the car remained parked 4 fdeet from the hydrant until his/her shift was over. That is just arrogance and nit only on the part of the perp.