With the city of New Haven experiencing a tremendous financial success from their use of the plate finder, our City Council members have to be congratulated for there affirmative vote to the implementation of this boot finder program for our city.
This will not only catch up with parking ticket Scofflaws but will also catch the many that owe outstanding motor vehicle taxes to the city. The current outstanding uncollected motor vehicle taxes are approximately $16,000,000 including interest.
Once the word gets around that cars are being booted or impounded, the city will experience long lines with people paying their outstanding parking tickets and uncollected taxes out of fear of losing the use of their cars like what occurred in New Haven.
With the recent introduction of the Segway vehicle for use by the beat policeman and now the new plate finder is moving our police department out of the Stone Age when recalling the only way of communicating with each other or drawing attention to a fellow officer was rapping their night sticks on a telephone pole.
Again, congratulations for the foresight of the administration, the Council, and Police Chief Gagliardi for the implementation of new ways in providing better safety for our citizens.
17 comments:
Great work by Chief Gagliardi. It is about time we cracked down on tax delinquents. If they can't pay the taxes, then they shouldn't own the car.
Frank,
Remind your viewers to tune in to Ch.95 at 6:00 PM tonight,Friday to view the BOE support the school budget.
If you do not know how the individual board members think and vote, how can you vote for the BOE members responsibly. Wish we could end ethnic and partisan voting. We have been getting what we deserve!
Wolski, Kochel and Jacobs were on the BOE that hired Kurtz. Sanders voted against her from the start. She was a mistake and those who stand by her every word are in reality defending their pitiful choice for New Britain,s superintendent.
Of course, she will get a big raise. She only need six votes from the BOE and she can count on Wolski, Kochel, Saavedra, Jacobs. Riley and Holley. The rest of the BOE and the community and the students mean nothing to her.
Police tech, snow cash approved
Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:42 PM EST
By RICK GUINNESS
Herald staff
NEW BRITAIN — The Common Council unanimously approved all requests by police Chief William Gagliardi for new technology, some of which could bring the city additional revenue.
The crime-fighting tools included a $21,000 license plate reader, which consists of two car-mounted cameras connected to a computer system that ties into databases. The system can identify stolen cars, wanted individuals and so forth, and also access tax records and parking-ticket records.
Once a tax or ticket scofflaw reaches a certain threshold of money owed, police would put a “boot” device on the person’s tire, rendering the car undrivable until the debt is settled.
In a recent test, the unit found three vehicles whose owners owed the city a total of $1,000, Gagliardi said.
“I don’t know how long it would to take to get all the money that is owed us,” he said, referring to some $8.7 million in delinquent motor vehicle taxes, “but this unit should pay for itself.”
Alderwoman Suzanne Bielinski agreed, saying, “That’s what they do in New Haven. They have to pay what they owe or they get the boot.”
Gagliardi said the system will also be useful at disturbances by taking pictures of all cars that were there before and after the incident to identify anyone who fled the scene.
The council also approved the purchase of an in-car video system and integrated radar to be bought with drug asset forfeiture funds.
In other business, the city approved $100,000 for snow removal services and the purchase of a new road salt containing magnesium chloride.
A Herald poll in late December, after the first significant snowfall of the season, found respondents to be mostly satisfied with cleanup. Some 27 percent thought cleanup was excellent, versus 18 percent in the Middletown area and only 13 percent around Bristol. In New Britain, 43 percent found cleanup average; 20 percent found it poor; and 11 percent thought roads had been neglected after the storm.
The council also approved $10,000 in spending for training for the Public Works and Telecommunications departments and $31,774 for a hazardous materials assessment at 121 Main St., the site of two buildings that will be razed to make way for a police station, retail businesses and restaurants. Also approved was a hybrid bus lease agreement with Dattco and Tobyne & Co.
The council also gave municipal development director Ken Malinowski the green light to apply for $1.7 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds. The money would be used to buy and repair foreclosed properties in the city.
A Parks and Recreation Department request for $23,000 out of the general fund to cover the cost of revenue-generating activities at the Willow Brook sports complex was also approved.
Rick Guinness can be reached at rguinness@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 236.
URL: http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/doc496ffe5254348532558322.prt
© 2009 newbritainherald.com, a Journal Register Property
What has not be mentioned is the fact that the plate finder will locate unregistered cars that are also uninsurred and will remove them from our roads.
That's is what we need, more revenue police. Great Idea to have police collect taxes for the town. I have an idea, how about having the police also arrest anyone who is late paying thier taxes, that will make them pay.
That's is what we need, more revenue police---sounds like sour grapes from a tax deadbeat that is mad that he is now going to have to pay his taxes for the first time!!!!
We don't want them to arrest the deadbeats, just seize their cars and after 30 days, and if the deadbeats don't pay up, we will sell their cars at public auction and then they can ride the bus!
The system must work, since after implementing it, New Haven became the number one town in the entire state for tax compliance and the "tax police" have Mayor DeStefano being hailed as a hero!
I am not a tax dead beat, I pay my taxes just like every other upstanding citizen. I am just tired of giving the goverment my money so they can flush it down the toilet. I don't like the fact that I payed more taxes than I did to buy the car. If they were to sieze my car, they can have it.
Three Words, Boston Tea Party
your new Vice President says it is being patriotic to pay more taxes so he can give your money to people who are more deserving of it than you are! If you can't pay the tax bill, why don't you go get a second job to support Biden's patriotism?
I supported my country by serving my time in the Army, your condescending remarks shows how intelligent you are since you don’t even know who you are talking about. My new vice president is wrong for making this comment. Blindly following your leaders is not being a patriot. Make the government follow a budget. I manage my money and debts. Why not make the goverment do the same. They don't need more money, they just need to learn how to balance thier checkbook.
The fire department spends money on saving lives; the police department spends money on collecting taxes. To serve and protect? How about protecting the lives and rights of citizens instead of extorting money from them?
I love the comment about riding the BUS, when they can get a bus route to where and when I need to go; I will be happy to ride the bus. Our public transportation is garbage compared to our Euopean counterparts. I lived in Germany for 2 1/2 years and never needed to own a car because thier public transportation system was great. Our public transportation system cannot compare. When we are able to compete then maybe that comment would be valid, but for now, that isn't a valid option.
How many police are they going to take away from protecting citizens to take on this task? I feel safer already.
Of the 16,000,000. that is owed, how many are current residence of New Britain? Don't they already know where these people live?
Of the 16,000,000. that is owed, how many are current residence of New Britain? Don't they already know where these people live?
ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE START SENDING THE CITY CONSTABLES AROUND WITH ORDERS TO SEIZE THEIR CARS FROM THE DRIVEWAYS OF TAX DELINQUENTS?
THAT MIGHT PROVE TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN COLLECTING FROM THE TAX DELINQUENTS.
ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE START SENDING THE CITY CONSTABLES AROUND WITH ORDERS TO SEIZE THEIR CARS FROM THE DRIVEWAYS OF TAX DELINQUENTS?
THAT MIGHT PROVE TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN COLLECTING FROM THE TAX DELINQUENTS.
I wasn't proposing this, but this would save them some money they would spend on equipment and time they would spend chasing people around town. Good Idea.
Sounds like a great plan. The city could go around seizing the cars and sell them at public auction if they don't cough up the overdue taxes.
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