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by John_Deutzman from New York City

Last Post 8 days, 3 hours Ago


Ticket Dumping
Mar 17, 2008 | 10:14 PM
Category: Traffic
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     Ticket dumping is a sneaky and lazy way for ticket writers to hit their daily or monthly "performance goal"  or "activity" both safe terms for quotas.
     Cops and traffic agents locate cars and other vehicles that they can write multiple tickets on over a long period of time.  The vehicles are usually in industrial or run down areas where the general public wouldn't necessarily complain about them.  For example, I doubt that here would be a large abandoned truck trailer sitting outside Mayor Bloomberg's house on the Upper east Side for months, racking up tickets without it being investigated or removed by the city.
     The primary motivation for writing dumpers is laziness.  However, some cops and traffic agents might take the position that they should not be forced to write a certain amount of tickets  in a given time period.  So they  write  "dumpers" and hope that they get credit for writing the ticket even though after several days of observation and mounting tickets, they should be conducting an investigation into the vehicle that has been left on the side of the road.
      You might also be wondering why these trailers are left abandoned in the first place.  The simple version is that most stuff is shipped around with  three parts 1) The container,  2) The chassis/trailer and  3) The cab or "tractor".  In many cases the three parts can be owned by three separate companies with different responsibilities in the shipping process.  A container owned by company "A" can come from overseas and put on a trailer(which has a license plate on it) owned by company "B" and hauled off by a private trucker or company "C".  If the trucker doesn't want to deal with the container or the trailer anymore or if is broken down he just leaves it on the side of the road.  Some shipping companies that own hundreds of thousands of containers and trailers may never be able to figure out what happened to the ones that are lost.  However the tickets ultimately will go back to the registered owner of the trailer and guess who ultimately pays....YOU DO!  Yep, it's a cost passed along to ship goods that you pay for.
 
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Mar 18, 2008 | 3:03 PM

Hey John...

Requiring a quota is being presumptuous!
I wonder what an attorney for the department of labor would say about that?
It seems these people are just doing what they have to do to avoid the unemployment line, and that the real demand is trickling down to them from their bosses, and may go up a few levels to the boss's, boss's boss.
Does this money fund someone's expense account on a higher level? Only an investigative auditor can find the root of the problem.
If there were more unannounced audits, there would be a lot less corruption.
Back in the days when I worked in banking, we were afraid to even breathe the wrong way! Every now and then, the auditors would walk in and say "step aside" and we were not allowed to speak one word as they counted every dollar in the branch.

Jane
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 18, 2008 | 6:01 PM

Jane,

The problem is quota or no quota there are quality tickets and garbage tickets. Dumpers are garbage tickets which provide no public safety/traffic benefit.
Although there is not a written "quota" we've obtained paperwork in the past from traffic agents who've been diciplined for not writing a certain amount of tickets in a certain time period. On one hand you could argue these are quotas on the other you could argue that certain "activity" is expected from every cop and traffic agent.
virgomom
Mar 18, 2008 | 11:18 PM

John,
We have a similar problem in Travis, Staten Island, for over two years of calling 311 to report trailers detached and left for months at a clip. I don't understand how a The Bekins Moving Company/New Dorp Moving and Storage can operate a business on a city street and get away with this? It is illegal to leave a detached trailer on a city street, and all the cops do is write tickets. What if there is something dangerous or hazardous inside of them that could potentially be used in an attack against us, we forget too quickly!! How do you as a uniformed officer walk away without inspecting the inside of the trailers, after we endured 9/11. This needs to be addressed and corrected once and for all. Please help us clean up our neighborhood and keep us safe.
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 18, 2008 | 11:22 PM

Virgo,

All I can do is keep hammering away with these stories. It's very difficult to tell if the NYPD takes this seriously because they did not respond to multiple e mails and phone calls I made for comment on this story.
If the vehicles have plates you need to kepp calling the cops. If the vehicles don't have plates you should call the sanitation department.

John
virgomom
Mar 18, 2008 | 11:22 PM

from Virgomom: The site is
Meredith Avenue overpass above the West Shore Expressway Staten Island.
carolt2005
Mar 18, 2008 | 11:25 PM

Dear FOX 5 Investigation Team:

I just watched your Investigation about the “Ticket Dumping” on March 18, 2008. I can’t believe what I just saw! I feel that I may have been a victim of this myself. My car was reported stolen on February 7, 2008 . The car was missing until March 13, 2008. During this time I consistently called the NYPD for updates. My car was NOT found by the police. However, it was found by a pedestrian who happened to be to walking in the neighborhood and saw my suspicious stolen car with a door missing on West 37th street in Coney Island. He saw my parking pass for work in the window and called there asking if anyone had a car stolen ( I am a NYC teacher). There were tickets in the glove compartment, 2 of which were written by the SAME OFFICER. One on March 3, 2008 and March 10, 2008. The location of the car was the SAME. WHY DIDN’T HE REPORT THIS? Wasn’t it suspicious? What happened to, “If you see something say something?” Although I will not have to pay these tickets, why doesn’t the sanitation department or parking violation report things like this? Thank you.

Concerned Brooklyn Citizen,
Caroline
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 19, 2008 | 12:03 AM

Caroline,
Thanks for your comment. We are working on another story very similar to yours. It seems to come down to this:
1)If a traffic agent writes a ticket forget about it. They are like ticket writing machines and are not trained to check for or report stolen cars (even though the citizens are told to report something suspicious)
2)If a cop writes a ticket it all depends on his mood, I guess. The patrol guide says you are supposed to run plates to see if they are stolen before you write a ticket but the next line is "if the situation warrants it" or something like that. This leaves lots of discretion in the hands of the cop.
You would think that in this day and age of computers that the NYPD would run every single plate that's about to get a ticket through a database just to see if is stolen but that doesn't happen.
The fact that an illegally parked vehicle can be left for days, even weeks in the same spot with multiple tickets written on it is a disgrace but nobody seems to be doing anything about it.

John
Sanctus read my blog view my photos
Mar 19, 2008 | 11:39 AM

Another good story John. I've seen this "ticket dumping" routine for years. It's a tried and true NYPD classic. I used to see this a lot in Brooklyn when I lived on 80th street right by New Utrecht HS. This also reminds me of the "title scam" that used to be very popular. The scenario goes like this: Your brand new car is stolen and you call the police and report it. They can't find your car for weeks, but the tickets get dumped on it daily. They finally call you and say that your car was found, usually completely stripped. Because of the circumstances, they offer to buy your title for a few hundred dollars to transfer the car for "donation" and you'll get the money from your full coverage insurance anyway, so why not? Miraculously, a few days later, your car is driven off an impound lot with all of its parts mysteriously restored. Cost of getting a brand new car with this wonderful scam - $200.00. Look on your face as you see your stolen and stripped car drive by, fully intact - priceless! I'm not making this up. This actually happened to my brother-in-law.

Daniel
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 19, 2008 | 11:51 AM

Daniel,

Very Interesting

John
gertrude1945 read my blog view my photos
Mar 22, 2008 | 7:24 PM

Dear John,

Very interesting topic. I've seen the tickets piling up and thought the same thing--those traffic cops can be such lazy cheaters. Instead of taking care of the problem, they play stupid to profit. And I wouldn't be surprised if those abandoned jalopies were put there by the traffic cops themselves!!! They probably strike some deal with scrapyard owners...They can be very wily those traffic cops. I'd say probably one of the most corrupt government officials out there. Thanks for uncovering this.
DC7767 read my blog
Mar 24, 2008 | 4:18 PM

Hi there John
Wait till you hear this one. Yesterday Easter Sunday me and my family are driving around our neighborhood when we say hey let's stop by our local white castle on 4th ave and 30th in Good old Brooklyn New York. Well we went to the drive thru placed our order paid and came home
ate some of the food and put the left over boxes in the refrigerator for the next day Well Today Monday at around 2pm I decided to reheat the other boxes when I go to dump them on a paper plate to warm them a silver key comes falling out of the box along with my Two year olds 9 piece chicken rings. I AM ANGRY AND SCARED WHAT IF MY SON HAD SWALLOWED THAT KEY WHY WAS IT IN THE FOOD HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO CARELESS. On top of that there was some black unknown black grease on the food that was on the key. THANK GOD MY LITTLE ONE IS OK AS FOR ME I CAN'T SHAKE THE FEELING IF THAT WAS IN THE FOOD WHAT ELSE IS IN IT.

Signed Please Don't crave in Bay ridge Brooklyn
D.C
jqswim2
Mar 25, 2008 | 10:40 PM

Hey John, You certainly went all out on your show about "ticket dumping". I think now some people may actually realize the pressure police officers are put under to reach these "productivity goals"??? Maybe your next story should be to investigate the possibility of a "quota" in the NYPD. How these "so-called" goals are held over one's head as a ransom to get a day off or leave early etc. I would not go and say these tickets were the process of "browning points" as I can assure you they were more along the line of payment to get what is "owed" to any working human being. Its certainly a story worth looking into...just go to the PBA, I'm sure they could give you plenty of stories on "quotas", oh, sorry, "productivity goals"!!- yeah right.
Jon
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 25, 2008 | 10:59 PM

jon,

Thanks for your comments. In the past we have done stories proving written performance goals for traffic agents with a specific number that have to be written on foot, more if you drive a car. Also, I've been told that a police officer is more or less expected to write a "book" a month. I forgot how many tickets are in a "book." All that being said, I still don't understand why you wouldn't run the plate on something that has been sitting around for several days that is littered with tickets.
I do however see why some cops, especially in nasty areas of town, who are running on radio calls and doing real police work might get ticked off by told to write a certain amount of tickets when in fact he's been busting his tail every tour dealing with bigger things.
nasuc
Mar 26, 2008 | 8:09 AM

Hey John,
Loved your story about ticket dumping! Now maybe you can re-write that story from the police officers view and tell it the way it really is!

My finance worked for the NYPD for 20 years and for 20 years they made him meet quotas! If the city wasn't so worried about writing tickets maybe the NYPD could actually do thier job and stop crime.

If you were in their shoes you would cosider writing the tickets to avoid the unemployment line too. I think you should gather some retired NYPD officers to tell the REAL truth and then you can have a TRUE story to tell the public. The NYPD are not ignorant individuals they are just tring to make a living ((((( a whole $40 or $50,000 a year to protect you and your family Mr. Jon Deutzman!!!!!))))))

How about investigating the real problem instead of these cheesie stories that make the police look bad.the public the truth!!

The If you had 30 parking tickets to write a month those parked cars would be god sent to you tooo!!! I'm not saying it's right but this is what they are forced to do to keep food on their families tables!!!!

THINK ABOUT THAT MR. DETZMAN.

YOU are basically doing the same thing as those officers, writing a story that is incomplete just to make your quota of a story to tell. Now re-write the story, we're waiting to see it the way it really is!!!

And for those people who have gotten many dumped tickets-- sorry but this is the way your city wants it!!!
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 26, 2008 | 9:54 AM

Nasuc,

I've heard your side of the story before. If you look at both blogs on this subject I go into the quota or activity motivation. Whatever the cause as you are kind of admitting it's wrong. If the people in charge want to hang officers out to dry on this then I guess that's the way they do business.
We have addressed and proved ticket quotas many times and in fact in part one of the story mentioned that ticket dumping helps your "performance goals"
I can see how a hard working cop might take offense to being forced to write a book of tickets a month. At the same time, why not run a plate once you see there are more than a dozen old tickets on a vehicle?
ANGELRUBY read my blog view my photos
Mar 27, 2008 | 2:26 PM

Hi John,
In this age of computers, all the ticket writers need is a computer to write the tickets. A ticket would not appear without the writer first putting in the license plate number. That could also flag a stolen car.

When a cop gets out of his car, he is supposed to give location and plate number which is run by the dispatcher.

I remember State Police DID NOT have quotas for summonses and warnings but quotas for snakes and worms - but a rose by any other name ....

I think Corzine's accident was 3/23/07 or so. Were those tickets for careless driving, causing an accident, texting while driving, etc. also "dumped"? I gave you a 20% chance of reporting of the results.. unless I missed your report, I guess I was right. I guess it is not good to thread on certain toes. I can understand that.
ANGELRUBY read my blog view my photos
Mar 28, 2008 | 7:54 AM

Good Morning, John,

Was thinking about the computer for ticket writers who are lazy. it would be important that they must put in the make and color of the car instead of the computer doing it, in case the car, not the plates were stolen. It would also have to flag someone monitoring the computers if several tickets have been issued to that vehicle. Perhaps linked to a police station if the car is stolen ... just in case the ticket writer doesn't want to do the extra work.

We have wonderful, ingenious computer experts who could create this.
John_Deutzman read my blog
Mar 28, 2008 | 8:26 AM

Angel.

I agree, in fact they actually have cars now that are rigged with technology that will read license plates and an alert will go if if the car is stolen or has no insurance.

John
ANGELRUBY read my blog view my photos
Mar 28, 2008 | 9:30 AM

John, the insurance companies have it made! Free guarantee to make money with police as collection agencies. Would like insurance companies fund a part of the cost of police.

Would like more respect for the laws PREVENTING accidents instead of spending money for gadgets during and post accidents. And police to enforce ALL the laws, like slower cars NOT traveling in the SLOW lane and impeding traffic, just for one.

Drunk drivers/speeders being charged as terrorists in a deadly weapon instead of charge with an "accident". I think it is over 10,000 people killed each year by DUIs.

Can't see the reasoning that you buy insurance
to help if you do have an accident, but if you do have one, you get canceled. Why have it? Everyone would like to make money without putting out any.
SCRTipper read my blog view my photos
Mar 28, 2008 | 4:52 PM

Insurance companies have a huge stake in the effective and quick recovery of stolen vehicles. Over 1.2 million cars are stolen in the USA each year and the cost to insurance companies is in the billions. The insurance industry actually funds the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and National Vehicle Services (NVS) both of which are dedicated to theft recovery. The NICB is the agency that was able to track down Timothy McVeigh's rental truck after the Oklahoma City bombing.

You can confirm if a vehicle is stolen on NICB's website - www.NICB.org - using their VIN Check program.

As John alluded to earlier, recently insurance companies and the financial creditors who provide auto loans have been funding initiative to equip police cars with dashboard mounted cameras that can scan license plates and cross reference the number with a national 'hot list' of stolen cars.

If you have information about a stolen vehicle you should report it to law enforcement immediately. You can also report it to www.StolenCarReports.com and be eligible for cash rewards up to $250 for eligible vehciles. Registering at StolenCarReports.com also enables you to receive email and SMS alerts on cars stolen in your neighborhood.

John - Great job on highlighting this often ignored problem.
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John_Deutzman

John Deutzman, a New York native, has been working as a reporter at Fox 5 News since September of 2001. John has won 12 career Emmys and has received 28 Emmy nominations. He's known for his aggressive and at times humorous style when catching bad guys and exposing scams for the Fox 5 Investigative Unit. John's stories have resulted in arrests, businesses being shut down and dozens victims getting their money back from scam artists. Before moving back to New York, John spent 11 years in Miami, first as a sports reporter but when hurricane Andrew struck, John was thrown into news reporting and evenutally made the full time switch to news. John also had stints in Binghamton,New York and Springfield,Massachusetts
. A native of Smithtown,Long Island, John is an 11th-generation Long Islander. He describes himself as a 50/50 mix of his two grandfathers. One grandfather was a journalist who owned the town paper, the "Smithtown Messenger" and the other was one of the first cops in town who had a reputation for being tough and crazy but fair.

Member Since: 6/1/2006