Mayor Adams, Gov. Hochul celebrate success of 'ghost cars' crackdown in NYC

ByEyewitness News

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 10:49PM

Mayor, governor celebrate success of NYC 'ghost cars' crackdown

Tanya Rivero has the latest on NYPD ghost car crackdown operation.

STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul touted the success Wednesday of an ongoing crackdown on so-called ghost cars and illegal motorized vehicles in New York City.

The interagency, city-state effort involving the NYPD, DSNY and MTA has resulted in the removal of more than 7,500 ghost cars and 27,000 illegal motorized vehicles from city streets in the last year alone, officials said.

That total includes more than 5,000 ghost cars removed since the launch of a joint task force between NYPD and DSNY in September.

"Ghost cars contribute to the feeling of disorder, and that's why our administration has pumped the brakes on the use of these illegal vehicles," said Adams in a statement.

Ghost cars - which have obscured or altered license plates, rendering them untraceable - and other illegal vehicles such as motorized scooters, bikes, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) pose significant public safety risks and are increasingly used in violent crimes, officials said.

"Ghost plates and toll evasion cost our state millions each year, which is why we launched a city-state task force to crack down on these offenders and worked with the legislature this year to strengthen enforcement actions," said Hochul.

Wednesday's announcement came as part of Adams' Public Safety Week, a push to highlight the Adams administration's community-driven public safety models.