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Uniformed officers in surge patrols had trouble corralling the 60 to 80 wannabe drift kings who’d gathered between 1 and 3 a.m. each weekend for the past two months at the Sunoco Plaza -- blocking gas pumps, handicap parking spots and entrances and exits -- before running illegal New York City races.
Whenever marked units entered the plaza, however, they all scattered.
So command came up with a new tack.
Call it “The Fast and the Furious: PAPD Edition.”
Shortly after midnight this past Saturday, a squadron of undercover officers who’d staked out a remote area of the plaza were given a signal, Port Authority Spokesperson Lenis Rodrigues said.
The instant they got the green light, “a surge of PAPD units moved in a tactical fashion to seal all exits and entrances to the plaza and set up a vehicle-safety checkpoint,” she said. “Each vehicle was checked for safety and operator credentials.”
Three drivers were arrested for driving with suspended licenses, Rodrigues said. Summonses also were issued for various violations.
Nine vehicles in all were impounded.
No muss, no fuss.
“This is terribly inconvenient to the passengers who use the airport and the loss of revenue to the tenant,” said Port Authority Police Inspector Richard Bellucci, the airport commander.
“Street racers has been an issue in South Queens,” Bellucci said. “We wanted to disrupt their activities and send a message that their activities are not welcomed here.”
Port Authority police supplied a video of some of the cars that officers penned in at the gas station the night of the “Fast & Furious” operation.
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