Fake No Parking Sign Nailed To Tree Near Wash Hts NYPD Precinct

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A "No Standing Anytime" sign nailed to a tree outside a Washington Heights NYPD precinct was not put up by the city – and its appearance is causing outrage.

The sign, hammered into the tree in front of the NYPD's 34th precinct on Broadway, near West 183rd Street, proclaims no parking except for police vehicles and reads that it was ordered by the Department of Transportation.

That city agency confirmed to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer that it did not issue the sign.

It's unknown who actually did put up the sign.

It is illegal to fasten any poster, sign, advertisement or other printed material on a tree for any reason, according to the Department of Transportation. It carries a fine of up to $200 for the first offense, with a second offence bringing with it a $300 to $550 fine.

The picture of the nailed in "No Standing Anytime" was originally posted by the Twitter account "placard corruption."

The tweet quickly gained traction as many commenters suggested the NYPD was the most likely suspect.

"Do you not understand that the police decide who the laws apply to, and have decided these laws do not apply to them," one commenter wrote.

Another Upper Manhattan community member wrote on Twitter, "We had to work REALLY hard to get those trees replanted after they built the precinct, so it’s triply insulting."

In a statement given to Patch on Thursday, a spokesperson from the NYPD said, "We do not know the source of the sign, however it will be removed."

Brewer also got involved on Thursday.

.@NYC_DOT confirms this is not their sign. The penalty for individuals who put up such a sign is $150–$200 (1st Offense); $300–$550 (2nd and Subsequent Offenses), per @NYCSanitation. I will be reaching out to the NYPD. https://t.co/4XeCt1aweZ
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) May 6, 2021

"I have been tracking barricades and parking enforcement on or around our borough’s precincts, and this sign was brought to my attention," Brewer told Patch.

"My office checked in with our contacts at the Department of Transportation who confirmed with us that the sign does not belong to them. Police as public officials should respect local laws regarding signage relating to parking."

Brewer posted a report earlier this year that showed the number of barricades that have remained up outside police precincts across New York City after they were originally deployed during the June 2020 George Floyd Protests.