In an attempt to crack down on persistent scofflaws, Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta will be seeking legislation which will permit local law enforcement authorities to incapacitate the cars of parking scofflaws. He will also be seeking legislative authority to confiscate and sell the vehicles of scofflaws who repeatedly ignore notices to pay outstanding fines. The proceeds would be used to satisfy the outstanding fines. Pursuant to law, a scofflaw is an owner who has accumulated three or more unpaid parking fines. Legally, cars can only be incapacitated or confiscated on public roadways and public property.

These initiatives were included in the county executive's 1999 State of the County Address.

"While the vast majority of our citizens are law-abiding motorists, there is a small group of motorists who have blatantly and arrogantly ignored traffic summonses for parking violations," Gulotta said. "In 1999, the free ride is over for scofflaws. I will be seeking the authority to enable county law enforcement authorities to incapacitate and tow the vehicles of scofflaws for storage in private impound yards. A judgment will be entered, the car will be sold and the proceeds used to pay the outstanding fines, as well as storage and towing costs. I will not permit our law-abiding citizens and taxpayers to shoulder the financial burden and be taken advantage of by scofflaws who willfully ignore the law."

As part of this new program, the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency will provide data which will permit police officials to immediately identify cars owned by scofflaws when they initiate a computer check on a license plate. Parking Enforcement Aides will be equipped with hand-held computers, known as an Automated Hand-Held Ticket Writer. These devices will include information on scofflaws, so that the police will know if a car is owned by a scofflaw when they write a ticket.

Cars will be immobilized through the use of "boots" and transported to a private storage yard. If the owner wishes to retrieve the car, he or she will be required to pay the full amount due on the outstanding parking violations, plus storage and towing costs. If the owner fails to pay the prescribed amount, the county will sell the car.

According to the most recent compilation, a total of $115,716 is owed by the top parking scofflaws in Nassau County. A grand total of $16.5 million is outstanding from approximately 306,000 parking violations issued in the county.

In addition to his plan to incapacitate and possibly sell the vehicles of scofflaws, the names and addresses of scofflaws will be provided weekly to area media for publication.

The risk of losing the use of the vehicle, and the embarrassment of media publication, will result in a meaningful crackdown on persistent traffic scofflaws. The message should be loudly and clearly understood by every scofflaw. In Nassau County the free ride is over for scofflaws.

Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Bruce Blakeman issued the following response to Gulotta's proposed legislation: "I don't like the proposed law. Confiscating the cars of drunk drivers is a good idea, but confiscating the cars of people who may owe a few parking tickets is overkill. This is not the People's Republic of Nassau County."