The NYPD is cracking down on the growing problem of fake paper license plates. NYPD Chief Rodney Harrison says so far this year there have been bogus license plates connected to 33 shootings, hundreds of crashes, gang violence and speeding in school zones.
“This criminal phenomenon is a byproduct of COVID 19 when the Department of Motor Vehicles was shutdown and provided limited services.”
Authorities estimate there are thousands of bogus plates in the city and say it makes it harder to track criminals when those vehicles are involved. The NYPD is having patrol officers trained on how to spot fake paper plates and will look to bust online sellers.
New York City officials want to start moving homeless back into shelters. Mayor de Blasio says some eight thousand homeless New Yorkers are still in 60 hotels. They were put there early in the pandemic to help stop the spread of coronavirus in shelters.
“Record low COVID levels, vaccinations rising all the time. It is time to move homeless folks who were in hotels back into shelters where they can get the support they need.”
The mayor says the process of moving them out would be complete by the end of July but he still needs state approval. Some New Yorkers living near the hotels have complained about quality of life issues connected to the homeless.