NYPD officials say they’re seeing an increase in vehicles with bogus paper plates — blaming a crackdown on so-called ghost cars for a citywide uptick in dangerous police chases.
Chief of Patrol John Chell was asked during an appearance on NY1 Monday about a report by THE CITY that found a nearly 600% jump in the number of police pursuits so far this year, compared to the same period in 2022.
“Every morning, I wake up to something involving one of these illegal bikes or cars and paper plates,” Chell said, attributing the increase in chases to the NYPD’s efforts to crack down on “ghost car” drivers.
A review of NYPD 911 data, conducted by THE CITY last week, shows that cops gave chase 304 times in the first three months of 2023 — far surpassing the 214 vehicle pursuits tallied in all of last year.
Sources told the outlet that the boost is part of an enforcement push overseen by Chell, who became chief of patrol in December 2022.
Chell pointed a finger at “ghost vehicles” — which are equipped with illegal paper license plates — and called the NYPD pursuits part of the solution to the rampant problem.
“The main complaint everywhere I go is about illegal bikes and illegal cars,” Chell said. “They cause traffic violence, they’re uninsured, they’re unregistered, they cause street violence — robberies and shootings.”
Chell’s statements build on the comments the chief made during a press conference last week — where he told reporters that the NYPD is ramping up its efforts to apprehend criminal suspects fleeing from police.
“People thinking they can take off on us — those days are over,” he said on Thursday. “The days of driving around this city, lawless, doing what you think you’re going to do — those days are over.”
“We think we’re headed in the right direction for everything we’re doing,” Chell added on NY1. “We’re certainly not satisfied, but we feel good.”
Just last month, four NYPD officers were hurt after a police chase at Remsen and Seaview avenues in Canarsie, Brooklyn, ended in a car crash, according to police and a witness.
In April, a man driving a stolen car sparked a series of crashes while trying to flee cops in the Bronx, cops said. The wild chase ended with him ramming into a semi-truck and the officers getting into an accident of their own, according to police.
Chell’s comments come days after newly released NYPD crime statistics showed that major crimes dropped by 4% in the five boroughs last month compared to June 2022 — despite a 23% leap in citywide car thefts and with felony assaults for the month on par with June last year.