- A raid on so-called “ghost cars” by multiple government agencies resulted in eight people being arrested and nearly 300 appearing in court, New York authorities announced Monday.
- “Ghost car” is an informal term used to refer to vehicles with fake or altered license plates designed to allow drivers to avoid tolls and ticket fees.
- “Today, the Ghostbusters have arrived,” Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. “We’re chasing a ghost vehicle. Gig’s over.”
New York authorities are cracking down on so-called “ghost cars,” vehicles that use altered or forged license plates to avoid paying tolls or tickets.
Gov. Cathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and law enforcement officials led a multi-agency arrest effort on Monday that resulted in the seizure of 73 vehicles, 282 citations and the issuance of citations. Eight people were announced to have been arrested.
Officials said this is the first effort by a new state and city task force to enforce license plate requirements.
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In Monday’s operation, about 150 police officers used license plate reading techniques, visual inspections and other methods to examine the three river crossings that enter Manhattan, including the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which connects New York City’s three boroughs. , the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel). , connects with New Jersey.
“Today, the Ghostbusters have arrived,” Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference at the RFK Bridge. “We’re chasing a ghost vehicle. Gig’s over.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (both Democrats) are pictured side by side. (Getty Images)
Capital Region Transit Authority CEO Jano Lieber said fare evasion costs the region’s transit system an estimated $50 million a year, money that will be invested in modernizing subways and public buses. He said it was possible.
“That’s your money they’re taking away,” he said. “That’s a tax.”
Adams said police see a clear link between illegal vehicles and violent crime. He said vehicles with fraudulent or altered license plates or no tags at all are often unregistered, uninsured or stolen. This makes it difficult to track down vehicles and their owners involved in hit-and-runs, robberies, shootings, and other crimes.
The mayor said some criminals carry multiple plates and switch them around to avoid detection.
“These ‘ghost vehicles’ are a threat to our roads,” Adams said. “We don’t know who they are. They disappear into the night.”
To be sure, forging or tampering with license plates is nothing new, said New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban.
But the city has seen an influx of such plates during the pandemic, with people buying fake plates online that look like they were issued by an out-of-state retailer.
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Cavan said violators may also use spray paint, tape or other materials to hide or change license plate numbers or letters. Additionally, some companies are purchasing devices that are activated by drivers to cover plates when a vehicle enters a fare zone, making them unreadable by fare system technology.
