The NYPD’s 104th Precinct has towed 463 vehicles so far this year and expects to surpass last year’s total within the next few months, according to Commanding Officer Captain Karam Chowdhury.
Last year, the 104th Precinct, which serves Ridgewood, Maspeth, Glendale and Middle Village, towed 553 vehicles in total, Chowdhury shared exclusively with QNS.
Now just 90 vehicles shy of last year’s total, the precinct is on track to surpass that number, marking an even more productive year.
Notably, between Sunday, July 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 14, the precinct towed exactly 90 vehicles, Chowdhury noted.
Earlier today, your 104 Officers conducted a joint operation with @FDNY @helloDCWP @NYPDTransport to address quality of life complaints concerning mobile car washes. As a result multiple summonses were issued and numerous vehicles were removed. pic.twitter.com/mnBdTM1uwb
— NYPD 104th Precinct (@NYPD104Pct) August 1, 2024
Ongoing efforts to address residents’ quality-of-life concerns regarding illegally parked and derelict vehicles are what Chowdhury says keep the existing issues at bay.
“We want to make sure that people can park their vehicles instead of derelict vehicles or unregistered vehicles parking in the street,” Chowdhury said. “We just make sure that we do as much as we can to elevate [resident’s] parking issues. Especially in this neighborhood.”
Residents and elected officials’ attempts to have the 104 thwart the problem with derelict vehicles and illegally parked cars have also led to e-scooter confiscations.
As a whole, the precinct is up 110% in summonses directly co-related to e-scooters, Chowdhury added.
Highway Safety Officers seized several mopeds for violations including disobeying red lights, improper passing, unregistered & no safety equipment. Enforcement & seizures were conducted along Grand Ave, Metropolitan Ave, Myrtle Ave & Fresh Pond Rd. pic.twitter.com/AqvdDUNIMv
— NYPD 104th Precinct (@NYPD104Pct) August 14, 2024
One example, shared early on Wednesday, Aug. 14, shows the precinct taking to social media to share at least six confiscations of more e-scooters in the area. Additional posts throughout the year also show officers with confiscated e-scooters, loading them into a larger truck to be hauled away.
Chowdhury, who took over command of the 104th Precinct towards the end of January this year, continues to grapple with the logistics of tackling 311 parking complaints with a limited amount of resources.
Regardless of the challenges and the thousands of 311 complaints overall, the CO says the issues will continue to be addressed.
“We take complaints, we try to gather information and try to see where our most complaints coming from,” Chowdhury said, “Then we target those locations, making sure that these cars are no longer in the street if it’s derelict, or not registered.”
Queens Council Members Robert Holden and Joann Ariola have also shared their work with the precinct to rid the streets of abandoned and illegal vehicles.
Holden has taken to social media all year with posts of the 104th Precinct’s towing in his district, thanking the officers for their continued efforts.
Another day, another successful tow operation by Captain Chowdhury and PO Lamicella of @NYPD104Pct. Big thanks for always looking out for our quality of life.
There are plenty more issues to tackle, and we’ll keep working on them together. pic.twitter.com/PmHg0Hr9Uf
— Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) August 14, 2024
Ariola, representing Glendale, has also worked with the 104th Precinct to have cars in problem areas removed.
Her office, along with Holden’s, revealed a problematic area with abandoned cars near Edsall Avenue in Glendale last month, prompting a three-day-long focus from the precinct to have the vehicles towed.
Residents described the site as a common dumping ground for vehicles, resembling a desolate area with inadequate street lighting, according to the councilwoman’s office.
You called & we listened! More cars being towed away from Edsall Ave today. These vehicles cannot & will not be allowed to be dumped here, depriving residents of parking spots & becoming eyesores for the community. Thank you for the partnership on this @BobHoldenNYC & @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/0FYfGaPq7Z
— Joann Ariola NYC Council District 32 (@JoannAriola32) August 8, 2024
A New York Open Data set recording 311 complaints since early this year shows the 104th precinct has over 25,000 complaints made so far this year, with the biggest descriptors being blocked hydrants, loud noise and blocked driveways.
The battle between New Yorkers and parking in the city rages on, and residents in the confines of the NYPD 104th Precinct know better than most how often parking-related issues ravage the area.
Chowdhury estimates he will see a total of 700 towed cars by the end of this year.
