NY: State Senator's Police Parking Placard

State Senator's Police Parking Placard: MyFoxNY.com

What New York State Senator José Peralta says and what he does appear to be two different things.

"Every time I park my car, I follow the rules, I follow the regulations," he says.

Peralta lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, where most of the parking spaces are metered--1- or 2-hour limits--and traffic cops are quick to ticket.

"As a longtime businessman i can tell you all the summonses we've gotten, all the money I've put in the meters," Gerard Corsini says.

Corsini, a locksmith, is among the locals who say what their state senator is doing is wrong. They have to pay the muni meter.

But Peralta and his wife--whose cars have state senate license plates--appear to be parking on the street for free.

"He should pay like we all have to pay," Corsini says.

We asked the senator: "People say just because you're a New York state senator why shouldn't you have to follow the rules like everybody else?"

"I do follow the rules," he says.

From the pictures a Fox 5 viewer sent us and video we later shot, the senator's parked cars each has a police placard on the dash, while everyone else's cars have a muni meter receipt to show they paid.

"We always try and follow the regulations, the rules and regulations, just like every other citizen," Peralta says.

I asked him: "Then why not put money in the muni meter?"

"Oh we do," he says.

But the images show there was no ticket on his dashboard to say there was any money in the muni meter.

"It may have been moved, it may have been moved," he says.

Moved? On four separate days, we saw his cars parked at metered spots near his home. On one occasion the white car was in the two hour spot for at least 6 hours. But there were never any meter receipts on display. Peralta says there may be some times when he doesn't pay.

"If I have to run inside somewhere I do have placard and I used that [placard from time to time, but… it happens on occasion," he says.

About that placard: it says 'police vehicle identification."

"I thought they were governing those police placards," Corsini says. "Everybody wasn't supposed to be able to get one, unless it was real official."

He is right.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has sharply reduced the number of NYPD parking placards.

But the senator's placard isn't issued by the NYPD. It's given out by the New York State Office of Homeland Security. Peralta says the Senate gives it to them.

"It's given out by the Senate," he says. "It is given out as a courtesy."

Turns out Homeland Security issued 5,575 of these police placards in 2010 to all branches of state government--including the Senate--supposedly for official use only.

Cleary, some placards are being misused.

Former state Senator Hiram Monserrate was caught still using his placard six months after being booted from the senate for assaulting his girlfriend.

Now Peralta, who coincidentally won Monserrate's seat, and his wife are getting free parking with placards that say the vehicles are on official police business.

"He's abusing the parking privilege," Corsini says.

I said: "they think it's arrogant that you should get a special privilege like that.

"No, no. No. Look it's not about special privileges," Peralta says. "It's about from time to when you use your placard for business, when you use your placard from time to time when you are going to an event.

On each of the occasions we observed, the cars were parked at metered spaces within a block of his home.

"There are many events that occur by where I live," Peralta says. "So it happens. Yes, it does."

Into our Fox 5 Hall of Shame we induct state Senator José Peralta for misusing a police placard to avoid putting money in the meter.

We asked for proof Peralta was on official business on the dates we saw him using his parking placard. His press aide responded saying the senator was "working close to home on important, timely issues."