Mayor Bloomberg acknowledged Friday that there’s “a lot of evidence” of NYPD ticket fixing, but he believes a new computer system for tracking traffic summonses can eliminate it.
Bloomberg, speaking on his weekly WOR-AM radio show, said he discussed the problem with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly amid reports of a massive scheme involving dozens of officers.
“He’s convinced that when the cop gets back to headquarters, the (tickets) go right into the computer, and after that it would be very hard to manipulate the system,” Bloomberg said of the system introduced last summer.
“We can’t promise zero, but virtually not.”
Bloomberg declined to comment on the investigation by a Bronx grand jury. Sources indicated more than 40 cops could face criminal charges and another 100 might face departmental discipline.
A report by The Associated Press indicated the wrongdoing might go up the food chain, citing a source as saying several high-ranking city officials benefited from the ticket-fixing.
The report did not identify the officials. A high-ranking Yankees official, Douglas Behar, reportedly beat an August speeding ticket with the help of a police officer.
“There seems to be a lot of evidence that there was a practice that should not have taken place,” the mayor said. “The police commissioner and I will not say anything that will jeopardize the investigation.”
A Bloomberg spokesman said later that the mayor was only referring to “accounts in the media” when he mentioned evidence.
Bloomberg acknowledged the allegations of making summonses disappear in return for gifts were quite serious.
“These are all not parking tickets, but moving violation tickets, which you could argue is a lot more serious, because maybe you were drunk driving and speeding and could kill someone,” Bloomberg said.
(Source: NY Daily News)