First on CBS 6: VIP Parking List Revealed
Albany Police Chief James Tuffey says he'll take the heat for the flawed parking system that allows city employees and private citizens to dodge parking tickets through a no-fine policy of so-called "ghost tickets," and promised to end the practice.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with CBS 6, Chief Tuffey said he recognized the public holds him accountable for the practice, and was willing to accept responsibility for it, even though it began before he took office.
CBS 6 first reported Wednesday the existence of the "VIP" parking list, which exempts certain prominent Albany figures from parking tickets.
That's in addition to the city's bullseye sticker practice in which certain police officers in the city are given bullseye stickers to affix to their cars and act as something of a secret signal to parking enforcement officials that they are exempt from parking fines.
The VIP parking list, obtained by CBS 6 Thursday evening, shows over 300 license plate entries, most of which are registered to police cars.
Others names on the list include private citizens who do business around town, including: Downtown Albany BID executive director Pamela Tobin, Vincent Igoe- a relative of Common Council member Joe Igoe, and William Pelgrin, director of the state's cyber security office.
Sources confirm to CBS6 this list was once a living, breathing document, though they say there is a chance that the people on the list now are not the same ones that may have been exempt from parking fines in years past.
Chief Tuffey admits to CBS 6 his department was responsible for this list, but said he had never paid attention to it.
He could not tell explain how long the program had been in effect, what the rules of the program entail or how a name gets on this list. By even the most conservative estimates, the program has been operating for more than ten years.
The city's mayor and Chief Tuffey have shut down both the bulls eye and VIP list systems. The luxury once afforded to these individuals is now gone.
Instead, the city workers who need to park downtown will be issued a placard on a daily basis. The police department will continue to run this parking program. Chief Tuffey says every officer and city worker will sign out these placards and the police department will keep a detailed list.
Tuffey says he has ordered one thousand of these specialty plaques. They will expire yearly.
To view the VIP parking list, click below (license plate numbers have been redacted):
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
