The NYPD Tow Operation Division’s Version Of “Drugs On The Table”
The Post reports that top NYPD brass want to see clunkers in the tow pound:
Posted: August 4th, 2009 | Filed under: Follow The Money, Jerk MoveNYPD tow-truck operators are hauling away cars at an alarming pace because of ramped-up pressure to meet a shocking four-car quota per shift — and those who fail face stiff penalties, sources told The Post.
“You have to get your number. That’s it. If you don’t get that number, you know that when you roll into the pound, the bosses will be all over you,” said a veteran driver.
Punishment can range from a loss of overtime to relegation to the graveyard shift to delayed approval of time-off requests.
That fear is leading drivers to tow cars they might otherwise let off, just to make sure they hit the mark.
“If it’s a judgment call, we’ll frequently go against the driver for that reason,” a source familiar with the mandate said. “It’s screw them or screw me. Either way, someone’s getting screwed.”
The source told of drivers’ being called in for “interviews” with managers and subsequently being moved off the desirable 5 a.m.-to-1 p.m. shift and placed instead on overnight hours because “they’re not bringing in enough cars.”