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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles says it is "actively investigating" complaints of fraud in the handling of surrendered license plates to DMV office in Chautauqua County, including Jamestown. This comes after Call 4 Action has received and confirmed seven instances of drivers in Chautauqua County surrendering their license plates, for them to be destroyed and then being hit with toll violations, speeding tickets and parking tickets on cars in New York City and out-of-state. According to a spokesperson from the DMV, as an initial step in its investigation, the state has "required the County to strengthen its security measures for destroying surrendered plates." DMV spokesperson Walt McClure would not provide specifics on what security measures have been strengthened. The DMV's investigation into Chautauqua County's handling of surrendered license plates continues. In text messages sent to News 4, Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone says at this point, the Sheriff's Office, "will not be participating in any destruction of plates," and that this decision, made on Oct. 14 was the sheriff's. The decision was made several days after News 4 reported that the State DMV was "actively investigating" license plate fraud concerns in Jamestown. News 4 has filed a public records request with the Chautauqua County Law Department to obtain an email Quattrone sent to Deputy Chautauqua County Clerk Emily Blevins on the matter. Quattrone says that he does not know how surrendered license plates are being handled in the county, saying this is a County Clerk decision. News 4 has reached out to Blevins and county government on how surrendered license plates are being handled. When reached on Thursday afternoon, county spokesperson Justin Gould said the county has no comment. The pause on the county jail handling surrendered license plates is a change from past procedure. This is what Blevins said in July in an email: "At the county level, we take every possible measure within our authority to ensure surrendered plates are properly destroyed. All surrendered plates are handled exclusively by county personnel. They are transported to the county jail, where—under the supervision of correctional officers—they are physically cut in half by inmates. The destroyed plates are then transferred by county employees to a certified scrap yard for permanent disposal. Our DMV representatives receipt each transaction to provide customers with official documentation as proof of surrender." Her statement goes on to say: "Despite these thorough procedures, issues continue to arise due to the operations of entities outside our jurisdiction—specifically, NYC Tolls. It's important to note that NYC Tolls is not part of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Their toll collection process relies on automated cameras, which frequently misread plate numbers. These readings are processed by software and later reviewed by personnel who then contact Albany to retrieve the latest registration information associated with the plate number. As myself and many of the other 62 County Clerks across New York State have expressed repeatedly, this is not a problem that can be corrected at the county level. These errors are systemic and occurring statewide. While we have been working with the state in search of a long-term solution, the only guidance we are currently able to offer affected residents is to contact NYC Tolls directly and dispute the charge using the DMV surrender receipt as evidence. We consistently urge Albany to take the necessary steps to address this recurring issue, which continues to affect residents well beyond the scope of local authority. Unfortunately, a solution has not yet been provided." The Mayor of the City of Jamestown issued a statement in response to Call 4 Action's investigation into how drivers in Chautauqua County, mostly in the Jamestown area have legally surrendered their license plates and then have become victims of license plate fraud. In a statement, Mayor Kimberly Ecklund says: "The City of Jamestown is aware of serious allegations involving the potential misuse of license plates that were properly surrendered at the Jamestown DMV. These reports raise significant concerns for affected residents, and while DMV operations are administered by Chautauqua County under the authority of New York State, our office is here to assist residents in connecting with the appropriate agencies for guidance and resolution." The Mayor's Office goes on to say that residents who believe they may have been impacted are encouraged to
