Police Unions Demand Return of Stripped Cop Parking Placards
By MIA GOLDBERG
The five police unions are taking legal action against the Bloomberg administration's unilateral decision to reduce the number of parking placards allotted to NYPD employees by more than 21,000.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG: A new front in placard battle.

In an unusual show of unity, the unions representing Police Officers, Detectives, Lieutenants, Sergeants and Captains have jointly filed a complaint with the Board of Collective Bargaining to overturn a cut in the number of placards issued to their members from 64,587 down to 43,113.

'Restore or Bargain With Us'

"We seek to restore the status quo," said Michael C. Axelrod, the attorney representing the unions in a June 24 interview. "And if necessary, bargain over [the] means to address the impact."

The permits allow department employees to park their personal vehicles on the streets near precinct houses and other buildings while on duty or on official business.

The Mayor first announced his plan to slash the number of placards issued to all city agencies in January, "to reduce traffic congestion, decrease the city's carbon footprint, encourage the use of public transportation, and reduce the demand for curbside parking in connection with city business."

The complaint claims the city's decision to eliminate the placards was in violation of collective-bargaining rules requiring the city negotiate with the unions. "As a result of this unilateral change in procedure, members' vehicles are now being towed, members are being ticketed, and members are being subjected to command discipline," it stated.