Thousands Of Ghost Vehicles Removed From NYC Streets

Borough President Vito Fossella joined his fellow elected officials as Mayor Eric Adams announced the removal of 73,000 ghost cars and illegal motorized vehicles from the five boroughs since the start of the mayor’s administration in 2022.

Ghost cars are virtually untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers because they have forged or altered license plates. They pose significant public safety risks and are increasingly being used in violent crimes, including shootings and robberies, as well as in traffic offenses such as hit-and-runs.

“They have a very visible impact on public safety in a very negative way,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference at the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. “The one thing about stopping something is you prevent them from growing, so if those cars are allowed to grow and be used more often, not just in evasion of tolls, but in crimes, we would see more and that’s why it’s so important to send a signal that enough is enough.”

This year alone, the NYPD and the City Department of Sanitation removed more than 7,500 ghost cars and 27,000 illegal motorized vehicles from New York City streets.

And since the launch of a joint task force between the two departments in September, more than 5,000 ghost cars have been removed.

In March, a multi-agency task force was established, which included the NYPD, the
MTA, the Port Authority, the New York State Police, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the New Jersey Police Department. It resulted in 700 arrests, 32,244 summonses, and the seizing of 3,198 vehicles whose owners owed a total of over $27.3 million in unpaid tolls, taxes, and fees

“Every time they don’t pay a toll, the people of Staten Island are forced to pay even more,” said Borough President Fossella. “So, the more we do to stop it, the better it is for Staten Island drivers.”