Yeah. I never got a parking ticket because I don't drive. But, my hubby just got a car, and he spends a lot of time moving it around to avoid tickets. So, maybe this author's husband should do the same if he chooses to own a vehicle in the City. But, I do have to agree with this letter to the Mayor, regardless. I am a huge complainer to the City about the need for more police presence, beat cops, etc. If I saw a patrol car or beat cop for every ticket scooter I see, methinks "it happens all the time" might no longer be an valid answer. Unfortunatley, I've lived here a long time, so I think her plea to the Mayor is futile....And, I hate to be a negative nelly, but it's a fact in this City....And, I hate reading about my poor old neighborhood being a cess-pool of crime...It used to be so lovely....

ok, you got me - that DC story is a bit higher up on the Kafkaesque scale than what I went through...


and Althea, you're right, this is *exactly* what I would like to imagine (in a perfect world where you could call an 800 number and have Kohl's stop dumping 8 circulars on your stoop every 3 days):
Quote:
...but we both know the PA would push back on this - because a scenario like that would involve more work, and the PA is so on auto-pilot it's not funny.

In my experience, while the JCPD might bust a chop shop if they come across one, when it comes any one *individual* stolen car, they've conceded that business to the thieves, you're on your own.

Its worse in DC

DC Tickets And Tows Stolen Car, Releases It To Thief, Then Sends Collection Agency After Owner.

Ticketed While Stolen: Theft Victim Vows He'll Never Pay
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70523

I wonder if we, meaning the public, can find out what percentage of time the police officers spend ticketing. Maybe find out how many they write? Is ticketing done while they are patroling or need to stay within a certain area in case a call comes through and therefore it cuts down on response time? Perhaps they write tickets in the mean time because of all the complaints of illegally parked cars? This may mean they are actually being more efficient.

Does a ticket from the JCPD look any different than one from the PA? In addition, if the ticket is contested, does that take the officer off the street for court duty?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I really would like to figure this out. I guess I would call my community relations officer.

In addition, I will ask about the databases talking to each other. I thought when an officer pulls you over they have access to all sorts of records, why can't this work in reverse? Stolen car should come up as on every PA's system as they are out ticketing. "CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT LEAVE THIS VEHICLE UNTIL THEY SHOW UP!"

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like I said, maybe having your stolen car slip through the city's fingers and then having to go to court to clear the thieves' ticket is just something you have to go through to appreciate....

The JCPD are writing parking tickets too - its an easy 'thing' for them and probably is an effective way to show they (SOME) are doing something. I've seen them around my neck of the woods writing tickets all the time.

I'm actually happy to see the JCPD writing parking tickets in my neighborhood - at least if siht happens, they might respond, but unfortunately SOME appear to patrol aimlessly.

On the flip side, the JCPA are as useless as a bull with tits.

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of course not.

...but a simple database query so the police could be notified when a stolen car gets ticketed, or when the ticket goes through the municipal court system would not be rocket science.


not rocket science.

(but maybe having your stolen car slip through the city's fingers and then having to go to court to clear the thieves' ticket is just something you have to go through to appreciate)

It is my understanding that there is the Jersey City Police Department and there is the Parking Authority. The Police fight the crime and the Parking Authority gives you all those wonderful tickets for non-moving infractions.

I side with CapnJon on this one. You aren't going to get my sympathy on this portion of the complaint.

Life is very hard, and for others much harder, so I do very much feel for this person. But she's talking apples and oranges when mixing tickets given out by a division, whose sole purpose is to impose parking laws and fines, with crime fighting.

Trust me, after seeing a PA scooter crash into my neighbor?s car when trying to back up at top speed... these may not be the people you wish to see fighting crime.

I also sympathize with the feeling of insecurity, but the jump from breaking into a car to being raped is overly dramatic, as well as filing claims with the police department for your losses.

I do hope that police presence in the area is stepped up to cut down on the crime and help people feel safer, but as for the tickets, you break the law, you pay the price.

1x.... almost to comical effect:

A month after my car was stolen I received a municipal court summons for an unpaid parking ticket - issued 4 days *after* the car was stolen. The JCPA found the car and ticketed it for a street cleaning violation - but since their database doesn't talk to the database of stolen cars (because that would make too much sense), they let it slip through their fingers.

So the car was never recovered (I'm sure it was chopped) - and then to get the ticket off my record, I had to spend a few hours going to court one afternoon in person, because they wouldn't let me send the police report in.

So to recap:
The JCPA, which does nothing but drive around looking at license plates all day, has no way of knowing if a car is stolen or not when they enter the ticket on those little hand-helds of theirs (I'm sure they don't *want* to know, because recovering a stolen car, that would be just such a hassle).

And then, even when a ticket goes all the way through municipal court system to the point of a summons being issued, the plate *still *doesn't get checked against a list of local stolen cars.

And then, you can't resolve the issue by mail - you, the victim, have to take time off work and go to court to wave the police report in the judge's face.

i hear you, but a parking authority enforcement person is WAY different than a beat cop. pretty sure they dont have weapons, or authority to detail or arrest...

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I never thought I'd live to see the day...and now I am feeling a wee bit dizzy and unsure of who I am and what I am doing but...FAB, I am in total agreement with you on that point.

I know, that scares me too.

I thought Maria was trying to explain how effective the parking / traffic cops might be in the neighborhood, yet hopeless when it comes to other crimes as car break-ins - especially her husbands limo.

She might be hinting that the authority are good at 'easy' target enforcement to crimes that are 'quality of life' issues.

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werd.

i'm sure i'll be called a jerk for this, and while I admire her passionate letter....

"In the 16 months of being a resident of this town, I have been subjected to fines and tickets of all sorts; parking violations, moving violations, street cleaning days, etc. I have given at least a $100 in fines every month. "

Are you kidding? Am i supposed to feel bad for you? Sure, the parking authority is (absurdly) aggressive, but if you're racking up this many fines and tickets, then:
a. you / your husband are terrible drivers
b. you continue to break existing laws
c. you should've lost your license by now



I feel bad for you for the repeated break ins, that is unacceptable, but you're not getting my sympathy for the amount of tickets you earn.

"I ain't do those two cars yo, but I do break into cars"

Sounds like a bumper sticker to me.

I fully agree with the need for a better police presence, and I totally feel for Ms Shah. Getting your window broken twice so soon is maddening, and the police response to her was inadequate.

However, her valid complaints seem to get lost in her less-valid complaints about the tickets she received. Yes, maybe catching speeders isn't the best use of police resources, but in a park where a lot of kids play it's not the worst place to watch people's speeds. And honestly, if I saw that the cops are always giving tickets to people who speed through Lincoln Park, I would probably watch my speed right there.

But in the end, the letter makes a great point about how difficult life is for so many people in Jersey City and how out of touch most of city government seems to be.

I dunno -- this letter is pretty ridiculous: "If they didn't find anything in the car, maybe next they will break into our home, rape me, murder my husband and steal my car." Give me a break. Guess what, I drive through Lincoln Park all the time, and have never gotten a ticket. But I also respect the speed limit (25 mph, which makes perfect sense for a park). And no commercial vehicles are allowed. Speed through the park in your limo, and you deserve a ticket, 'nuff said.

A limo will probably have business plates, therefore, it is illegal to park commercial vehicles on the street. But she's right, the local govt. sucks, the police are basically useless and the thieves and thugs have gained the upper hand, they know the system and how to beat it, and in return they beat us. And this: "I ain't do those two cars yo, but I do break into cars," says it all about the scumbags that do this. Trust me, I know how it feels, I had my car broken into 3 times in 10 years, and I consider that lucky! Perhaps poisoning the door handles of cars...............................

Lincoln Park Area: Car burglar hasn't retired
========================

Cops: burglar hasn't retired

Thursday, January 10, 2008

A convicted burglar was busted again yesterday for breaking into a car in a Jersey City area where there have been a number of car burglaries recently, officials said.

Charles Worts, 44, of Bergen Avenue, was arrested at 3:44 a.m. yesterday and charged with possession of burglary tools and possession of drug paraphernalia - a crack pipe, reports said.

An officer walked past Worts near Duncan and Bergen avenues and noticed a screwdriver in his hand, reports said, adding that Worts dropped it when he saw the cop.

The officer patted down Worts and found a flashlight, gloves, mask, sunglasses, a lug nut and a piece of broken vehicle glass in his pocket, reports said, adding that a burnt glass pipe was also found in his pocket.

When backup officers arrived Worts said, "I ain't do those two cars yo, but I do break into cars," reports said.

Worts was in prison from April 14, 2000 to Oct. 16, 2001 and Sept. 17, 2002 to Jan. 13, 2005 for a parole violation and two convictions for burglary, state corrections officials said.

MICHAELANGELO CONTE

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We have two cars and don't get so many tickets and fines -- are your moving violations and your parking tickets related to being in the limousine business?

Also are your Limo windows tinted - if so then perhaps that is encouraging all those window break-ins.

Brava, Maria Shah.

That is the most rationale and sincere appeal to the local government that I have heard to date. It also makes me think twice about my own senseless bitching.

Hey Healy, how's that 'quality of life' crime fighting going?

How's those quality of life CCTV camera's going with protecting those sidewalk public trash cans from domestic or commercial trash being placed in them?

Wouldn't it be great if the % of our taxes that goes towards policing could be held if the city/cops do a crap job and we as tax payers used that % to employ our own security company that would be accountable with results to maintain their contract with us!

Focus on crime, not tickets
Wednesday, January 09, 2008

D ear Mayor Healy:

I am writing to you in great distress and misery. I have been living in Jersey City since August 2006. In the 16 months of being a resident of this town, I have been subjected to fines and tickets of all sorts; parking violations, moving violations, street cleaning days, etc. I have given at least a $100 in fines every month. I see police cars parked in different corners of Jersey City waiting to give out a ticket of some sort to the citizens of Jersey City.

The favorite spot for these police cars is Lincoln Park. I know this because I live right across from it. People living in nearby streets usually go through this park to get to the highway. I am sure everyone has received at least one ticket in this park.

I work in Manhattan and commute via the PATH train. I have been searched many times by the police standing in the station. It is not a comfortable thing being subjected to these searches and have strangers look in to your bags and purses. My husband drives a limousine and works a 12-hour shift every day. We barely meet ends and the burden of all the fines that I just spoke about is unwelcome and strenuous.

All of the above are OK and I was putting up with everything until now. On Dec. 30, Sunday, we woke up to the sound of fire alarms. Our building on Bentley Avenue was evacuated due to smoke. After everything was cleared out by the very brave firemen we went back into our apartment. We had barely stepped in when one of the tenants from our building knocked on our door and informed us that our car had been broken into. We rushed to my husband's car, the Lincoln he drives to make a living, and found the side window smashed!

We duly called the same police who have been very harsh with us over the 16 months and subjecting us to all kinds of fines. We were told by the officer, who arrived after 11/2 hours and two phone calls, that it happened all the time and there wasn't much that they could do. He wrote a report and after giving some empty advice, left. My husband couldn't get the car fixed that day because we had to wait for the police until 4 p.m. and by the time we got to the showroom, everything was closed. He spent half of Monday getting the car fixed and missed work. He spent about $100 and one day's worth of work due to this incident.

Today Jan. 2, my husband and I got ready to go to work. We stepped out and found that our car was broken into again. Same window, same street, same car, and same parking spot! My husband and I started crying because we felt so helpless, insecure, unprotected and let down! I took the bus to the station because I didn't want to miss work. My husband called the police again and got the same empty words of how it was unfortunate! My husband will spend another $100 and lose one more day of work!

Mayor Healy, I have two questions to ask:

1. How far will these people who broke into our car go until the police take some action? If they didn't find anything in the car, maybe next they will break into our home, rape me, murder my husband and steal my car. Will the police do something when the water has gone over the bridge?

2. Who should I hold responsible for this and who should I bill for my loss? The Jersey City law enforcement agencies only have departments where we can submit payment for tickets and fines. They don't have any department where we can submit claims for such loss and damage.

I wish the Police Department would focus more on catching these people than issuing tickets. I wish you would exert more energy on making Jersey City a safe and secure place to live in. I wish someone would step forward and help people like my husband and myself who live paycheck to paycheck, who have to pay you, who have NO security, NO justice, NO law on their side. I wish I could feel secure and safe and not feel as though I live in a Third World country or a police state! I wish I didn't have to feel so disappointed and miserable on a new year that didn't start in a very happy manner.

MARIA SHAH

JERSEY CITY




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