William Bratton parks last week with a placard claiming he’s “on official business.”
Former Police Commissioner William Bratton has a permit that lets him park his Lexus SUV anywhere in the city because he’s on “official NYPD business” — even though he resigned 16 years ago.
The Giuliani appointee was spotted on Wednesday docking his ride in a “No Standing” zone on Third Avenue and East 40th Street — right outside the private security firm Kroll, where he is chairman.
He left the car parked there — with a permit reading “for official use only” on the dashboard — for at least an hour.
If an average joe parked in the same spot without a placard, an NYPD agent would slap a $115 violation on the windshield.
Bratton’s placard, numbered 10122, is emblazoned with two NYPD shields and expires Feb. 1, 2013.
There’s no provision on the books for giving a former city employee a government parking placard, officials said.
The placards are supposed to be used only on “official business,” which would disqualify anyone no longer working for the city.
“City employees can only use them when they’re on the clock,” said Noah Budnick, the deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, which serves as a watchdog for parking-placard abuse.
He said a former official using a placard would be “doubly illegal.”
But NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne insisted Bratton wasn’t breaking any rules.
“Former police commissioners are entitled to placards,” he said.
But Browne didn’t respond when asked to cite the specific law or rule that allowed Bratton to have a placard or to explain what official business Bratton is doing.
Bratton, who resigned as commissioner in 1996, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Even former police chief Lee Brown — who had the job from 1990 to 1992 — told The Post that he doesn’t have a placard and was never offered one.
NY POST
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