Page 12 - The Indian EYE 062725

COMMUNITY OP-ED JUNE 27, 2025 | The Indian Eye 12

The bike stops here:

Removing illegal vehicles for

a safer New York.

The destruction of these illegal vehicles sends an important message to everyone who drives on the streets of our city: No
one is above the law. If you drive an illegal vehicle in New York, you will face the consequences. And so will your ride

ERIC ADAMS

ublic safety has always been the
North Star of this administra-
Ption. Keeping our city safe is
not just about crime stats — it is also
about how people are feeling. And
New Yorkers have strong feelings
about illegal mopeds and scooters, But sometimes the use of these illegal vehicles is more than a danger or a nuisance, sometimes it’s criminals (Agency file photo)
especially when they are driving the
wrong way down streets, on sidewalks, rules don’t apply to them; that’s why reselling them, so they can never be date. This is all in addition to our ef-
or in the dark without any lights, and we have been taking action on this used in a crime or to terrorize inno- forts that have driven down overall
when they are modified to increase issue since day one. And as summer cent New Yorkers again. Whether crime across our city; with the con-
noise and disturb neighborhoods. starts and more of these vehicles are we’re getting illegal guns or illegal tinuing drop in major crimes we’ve
The rise of the moped era has out, we have ramped up enforce- ghost cars off our streets, when it seen in April, May, and so far this
terrorized many of our pedestrians. ment all over the city, leading to us comes to public safety, we are literal- month, we are on track to have our
Seniors and older adults are afraid to confiscate and impound more ly crushing it. sixth straight quarter of declining
of being run down right on their than 100,000 of these vehicles since The destruction of these illegal crime.
own block. Parents are afraid their 2022. That’s over 100,000 ghost vehi- vehicles sends an important message I want to thank NYPD Commis-
children can be injured by someone cles with forged, illegal, or no license to everyone who drives on the streets sioner Tisch, Sanitation Commission-
popping a wheelie. And everyday res- plates, including over 62,300 illegal of our city: No one is above the law. er Lojan, and the men and women
idents dread that sound as they hear two-wheeled vehicles. These vehicles If you drive an illegal vehicle in New at both New York’s Finest and New
it approaching. — which are often unregistered, un- York, you will face the consequences. York’s Strongest for helping us get
But sometimes the use of these insured, or stolen — are often used And so will your ride. these illegal vehicles off our streets,
illegal vehicles is more than a danger in crimes or implicated in accidents. And the numbers show that our once and for all. Thanks to their ef-
or a nuisance, sometimes it’s crim- They also deprive law-abiding tax- effort to rid our city of these vehicles forts, New York City remains the saf-
inals. Criminals often use illegal payers of millions of dollars in unpaid is helping us deliver a safer city for est big city in America and the best
mopeds and ghost vehicles to ride tolls and fees. residents of the five boroughs. This place to raise a family. But it is also
around and snatch cell phones, jew- We have been clear: We are not year has seen a nearly 86 percent a place where you can live knowing
elry, and wallets from New Yorkers, going to let people live in fear, and decrease in grand larceny patterns, your city is looking out for you — day
or worse, to flee after committing a we are not going to look the other as well as a 68 percent decrease in and night, in schools and in subways,
shooting, robbery, or another vio- way. Last week, we sent another 200 robbery patterns involving mopeds. on the streets and on the sidewalks.
lent crime. of these illegal vehicles to their fi- More broadly, there has been a 57
Our administration will not tol- nal destination: the scrap heap. We percent decrease in all index crimes Eric Adams is the Mayor of
erate crime or riders who think the crushed these vehicles, instead of reported involving mopeds year-to- New York City, NY

www.TheIndianEYE.com