Gov. Hochul Cracks Down on Fake License Plates

Lincoln TunnelPhoto byClay LeConeyonUnsplash

People are using forged or altered license plates on cars to avoid paying tolls and tickets in New York. A recent crackdown on "ghost vehicles" netted 73 impounded vehicles and 282 summons. Eight people were also arrested.

Using license plate readers as well as visual inspection, Police at 3 river crossings to New York City. According to Janno Lieber, CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, toll dodging costs the transit system about $50 million annually. That money, he says, could be invested into modernizing subways and public buses. (I wonder, would it be?)

Authorities also point out the connection to violent crime, that some criminals carry multiple sets of plates with them.

Vehicles bearing fraudulent or modified license plates -- or no tags at all -- are often unregistered, uninsured or stolen, he said. That makes it challenging to track down vehicles and their owners when they’re involved in hit-and-runs, robberies, shootings and other crimes.

License PlatesPhoto bySemyon BorisovonUnsplash

In addition to fake plates. drivers also use tape or paint to alter or obscure plate numbers, or have devices that can be activated just as they enter a crossing, to make the plate unreadable. Fake Plates were also being sold online to simulate an out of state vehicle.

Perhaps the perps are reading the same science fiction books at as the authorities?