Daily News: Queens senator's bill would require city agencies to gather photo evidence while issuing summonses

Daily News: Looking to crack down on the potential for frivolous violations, a Queens state senator Friday is set to unveil a bill that would require city agents to snap pictures as part of issuing summonses.

Saying that the number of summons issued by several city agencies has grown over the past year, Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Queens) says his bill would discourage what he sees as a "cash grab" by the city.

He is introducing the bill with Assemblyman-elect Brian Barnwell (D-Queens).

f you’re saying this is what the violation is, take a picture of it, verify it,” Peralta said. “You’re proving there was a violation.”

The legislation would require city agencies to provide photographic evidence when issuing summonses for violations that are reviewed by the City's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Such a requirement could affect such agencies as the departments of sanitation, building, transportation, health, parks and environmental protection, Peralta said.

“Rather than have a he-said, she-said, we should be able to provide evidence that this is what the agent saw,” he said. “If a Department of Health agent says there was mice droppings in a restaurant, how do you know as opposed to the agent looking to fill some kind of (summons)quota?”

If an agent is not able to snap a shot, he or she would be required under the legislation to give a written statement as part of the summons explaining why.

In fiscal year 2016, Peralta aid, 58.1% of the summons that reached the city Environmental Control Board were dismissed, he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Sanitation in fiscal year 2015 issued 419,590 summons. That jumped to 462,412 in 2016, he said.

Department of Transportation summonses almost doubled, going from 34,266 in fiscal year 2015 to 67,065 in 2016, he said.

A spokesman for Mayor de Blasio said the legislation is under review.