A car registered to state Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada was seen parked illegally at a hydrant outside his Bronx home sporting a State Police parking placard.
The State Police insisted Espada didn’t get the Homeland Security Office’s permit from them, and suggested it might have come from the city’s Department of Transportation.
But city officials said they don’t distribute police parking permits to legislators and have no idea how Espada had one.
The Office of Homeland Security referred questions to the state’s Emergency Management Office, where an official had no immediate explanation of how the placard ended up with Espada.
The senator issued a statement last night saying the permit is legit.
“While I cannot check at the moment because I am in conference at the Senate retreat in upstate New York, I am certain that the police placard was issued at the request of a member of my staff,” he said.
The Democrat didn’t address the issue of why he was parked at a hydrant. Parking at a hydrant is illegal at all times, even for those with official permits.
A resident of the Bedford Park neighborhood said he spotted Espada’s illegally parked Mercedes on New Year’s Day in front of the apartment building where they live.
The resident said the car didn’t remain overnight. Espada also owns a $700,000 home in Westchester County, where critics claim he spends most of his time.
The Bronx resident snapped a photo and posted it on the Internet, with this comment:
“Seeing Pedro roll up and park illegally right in front of our building (while at the same time throwing any concerns for his constituents’ safety and well-being right out the window) makes me quite angry.”