Jersey City Chief Prosecutor Takes On USPS, Claiming Mail Carriers Are Parking Trucks Illegally With No Penalties
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Jersey City's chief prosecutor is taking on the United States Postal Service.
He and area residents say mail carriers have been taking advantage of parking in the city with no penalties, CBS2's John Dias reports.
Neither snow nor rain nor lack of parking is stopping mail carriers from getting mail to Jersey City residents, but many are not OK with it.
"If we have to abide by the laws and the rules, so should they," Jersey City resident Mohammed Kahn said.
Local leaders and residents say they're seeing an increase in United states postal workers parking trucks illegally on public streets. If they're ticketed, no one pays.
"It is unfair because we have gotten a ticket before," Jersey City resident Mary Kate Miranowski said.
Pictures show trucks unlawfully parked in crosswalks and no parking zones. CBS2 crews saw a truck parked in front of a fire hydrant for at least an hour and another parked on the sidewalk.
"They should be penalized," Miranowski said.
Some say they understand.
"I think it's their job and I think it's OK," resident Annie Mattingly said.
"It's tough to find parking. What are you expecting them to do?" said Leon Sederwall, of Union, New Jersey. "People need their mail, so I get it."
Jersey City Chief Prosecutor Jake Hudnut is trying to put an end to it, however, especially trucks parked illegally overnight.
"This is a public safety issue, and it's also a matter of they're just taking away valuable spots," he said.
For a decade, he says, they've been ticketing the federal vehicles, but since they don't have traditional plates, tickets were dismissed -- until now. Tickets are being issued in the postmaster's name, so the boss is getting the blame.
The prosecutor's office says since the end of January, they've issued 63 citations to the United States Postal Service.
On Wednesday, a representative showed up to fight the tickets and the conversation as to how to handle the ongoing issue finally got started.
"We have dedicated streets to them before. They have expanded past those dedicated streets. If their fleets are increasing, then they need to look at renting lots," Hudnut said.
The city is hoping they carry the mail and carry out this idea.
A post office spokesman says this is a very complex issue, but they're working towards a resolution.
They'll be back in court May 27. If the problem is resolved, the city's prosecutor says he will dismiss all the tickets.