NYC police target fake license plates, many linked to drive-by shootings and other crimes, officials say
Authorities in New York City vowed Wednesday to crack down on counterfeit paper license plates, which have been tied to drive-by shootings, toll evasions, crashes and other issues throughout the city.
Under a police initiative, NYPD patrol officers are being trialed to identify fraudulent plates. Rodney Harrison, the NYPD Chief of Department, said investigators have had trouble making arrests and tracking down vehicles involved in shootings because of the fake plates.
"This criminal phenomenon is a byproduct of COVID-19 when the Department of Motor Vehicles was shut down and provided limited services and criminals taking advantage and producing fake fraudulent paper plates in return for finances," he said at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daily press conference. He said vehicles with such plates have been linked to hit-and-runs, speeding through school zones and various quality-of-life concerns. There have been 562 crashes involving vehicles with fake plates where 293 injuries occurred, Harrison said.
Many of the plates are sold online for as low as $70 and up to $200, he said.
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