NEW YORK — The Outerbridge Crossing saw a show of force Tuesday morning on Staten Island.
Chopper 2 flew overhead as dozens of law enforcement officers from different agencies convened to crack down on ghost plates .
“These people are evading tolls, are beating the system, and beating the system means beating you and me, the taxpayers. So it is our responsibility to assure that the fair share is collected,” said Charles Chavez, senior vice president and chief of department for Port Authority Bridge and Tunnels.
The interagency task force consists of members from the Port Authority Police Department, New York State Police Department, New York Police Department, New York City Sheriff’s Office and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
It was launched last May to target hidden or unreadable license plates , unpaid tolls and unregistered drivers or vehicles heading in or out of New York.
Since the operation started , there have been 550 arrest, 2,600 vehicles seized and more than $23 million collected in unpaid tolls and fees.