Enjoying the celebrity status
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Arod, The Boss, had Speeding Tickets Fixed By NYPD
Star-struck cops have fixed tickets for big-time celebs, including Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and former team owner George Steinbrenner, sources told the Daily News.
Cops also made tickets disappear for three current City Council members, sources told The News. Two ofthe elected officials are from the Bronx and the third is from Manhattan.
Cops even showed Brooklyn love, letting rap superstar Jay-Z's driver off the hook for a speeding ticket, sources said.
Two sources familiar with the A-Rod speeding ticket said he was driving on the West Side Highway near W.57th St. in 2009. A highway cop issued the ticket, but an NYPD sergeant later squashed it, the sources said.
Yankees officials refused to comment last night. Rodriguez's spokesman declined to talk about the allegations.
Revelations of special treatment for bigwigs emerged as Bronx prosecutors and the Internal Affairs Bureau conduct separate investigations into suspected ticket-fixing.
It wasn't immediately clear if the allegations about A-Rod, Steinbrenner or Jay-Z's driver were part of the ongoing probe.
Three sources gave the Daily News names of celebrities who had tickets after Edward Mullins, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, called on members to give testimonials about the longstanding NYPD practice.
"It was very easy for a big name towalk away from a summons," onepolice source said. "[Celebrities] have contacts everywhere. There's aneagerness to help because of who theyare."
About 40 cops could be indicted for improperly voiding tickets, losing paperwork or purposely missing court dates in order to squash summonses, sources said.
Sources say the practice was so rampant, representatives for celebrities or politicians would sometimes call Police Headquarters directly to get their clients off the hook.
To read more of the article at:http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/..._for_arod.html