Police Commish: Truck Stops Not A Waste of Time

After the Garden City Police Department received an anonymous letter regarding village truck stops, Commissioner Ernest Cipullo defended reasons why the frequent inspections are so important.

"We do this for a reason," Cipullo said. "Public safety being number one ... Number two, it helps Mr. Mangan keep his roads in shape. I don't see it as a waste of time."

Cipullo pointed out that during the April 13 stop at Clinton Road and Commercial Avenue, officers inspected 14 trucks and placed all but one out of service.

Eighty-six tickets were issued, eight of which were for overweight violations and six for hazardous material violations, and officers cited one driver for a suspended license.

Three days later, officers inspected eight trucks on New Hyde Park Road. This inspection yielded 49 traffic tickets, including three for hazardous materials violations and five for weight violations, and placed more than half of those trucks out of service.

"Defective brakes and overloaded trucks is certainly a lethal combination," Cipullo said. "We're certainly trying to do our best to keep them out of here. When you get to our [village] line, we try to make them make a left or make a right. Some of them don't but we will be there watching."

Police are conducting another inspection today.