Jersey City Councilwoman DeGise had car towed in Hoboken for expired registration

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Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise, currently under fire for a July 19th hit-and-run, had her car towed in Hoboken back in November after parking in an illegal spot and having a registration that expired in 2019.

“This is your vehicle I take it?,” Police Officer Ramon Calderon says to DeGise on November 19th at about 12:41 p.m. near the intersection of 9th and Monroe Streets, based on police body camera footage of the incident obtained through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request.

“Yes,” DeGise, who was still chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization at the time, replied.

“Okay, little bit of bad news: number 1, you got hit by a tractor trailer making a turn, partially because you’re in the no stopping no stand zone … The other part is that your car’s been unregistered since 2019 so it’s going to have to be impounded until you register and then pick it up,” the officer states.

DeGise responds by saying that she must’ve lost her registration in the mail during the pandemic and asks if there is any way she can get a ticket instead of having her vehicle impounded – noting that a family member is a police officer and that she has PBA card.

She also says that she is a teacher at the Hudson County Schools of Technology as has to get back to work.

“I wish there was something I could do: it’s been unregistered since 2019. There’s nothing … it has to be impounded until it’s registered,” Calderon explains.

“I will pay a huge ticket if I have to: I have to get back to work, I have kids at a work site,” DeGise, who was elected to the city council about two-and-a-half weeks prior, explained.

The officer continues that there’s nothing he can do to help in this situation, aside from helping her to find other means of transportation, due to the expired registration.

“I was endorsed by the police in Jersey City, I’m a councilwoman,” she starts to say before getting cut off.

“M’am, I’m sorry: there’s nothing else that I could do, that’s New Jersey state law. If you want, you can take what you need from the vehicle.”

After DeGise grabs work supplies from her vehicle, Calderon gives her a card showing her where to pick up the accident report and her car.

At that point, the then-councilwoman-elect signals that she has contacted John Allen, assistant corporation counsel to the city and close confidant of Mayor Ravi Bhalla, for help.

“Can you just wait a second, I just called John Allen and he told me to hang tight,” she said.

“I’m sorry … who, I don’t know who John Allen is,” Calderon notes.

“With the mayor’s office: he just asked to wait a minute,” DeGise states.

“He asked for who to wait a minute?,” the officer says, seemingly still a bit confused over this piece of information.

“For me to wait a minute,” DeGise answers.

“Okay, you can wait all you want m’am we have to tow the car: there’s trucks that are trying to make the turn that can’t because of this. Okay, so I have to get the car out of the roadway, here you go, hold onto that,” Calderon asserts.

The officer’s body camera is on for about 16 minutes before the tow is complete and ends when DeGise declines any further assistance from Calderon.

Back on February 18th, 2017, DeGise went to the Secaucus Police Station to retrieve her impounded vehicle, according to a police blotter released by Chief Dennis Miller.

She also had a $100 warrant out for her arrest out of Jersey City, to which she posted bail for and was then released, the blotter says.

Through a spokesman, DeGise has said she will not heed calls to resign ahead of the first rally calling for her to step down set for tomorrow after.

On July 19th around 8 a.m., DeGise did not stop or appear to hit her brakes after she hit bicyclist Andrew Black, who seemingly ran a red light, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street, CCTV footage of the incident shows.

Surveillance footage from the West District police station released today shows that DeGise reported the incident in person around 2 p.m. on the same day.


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31 COMMENTS

  1. Really?

    “I’m a councilwoman. The police endorsed me. I called a friend of the Mayor”

    She forgot “Do you know who I am?” and “I pay your salary!”

    Typical politician BS. Unfit for office. She needs to resign.

  2. Can you just wait a second, I just called John Allen and he told me to hang tight,” she said.

    “I’m sorry … who, I don’t know who John Allen is,” Calderon notes.

    Mic Drop!

  3. Bleepjay and club foot Freeman are going to be livid when they hear what Amy did. She didn’t go to them for the special Ravi treatment for criminal HudCo Democrat pols. She called on John Allen for a “Get out of jail card?” But Amy doesn’t need that when she runs over people in JC fleeing the scene.

  4. Over on NJ.com, there’s a paywalled article that says she waited 6 hours to report the accident.
    Hit the guy at 8am, called the police at 2pm.

    Indefensible. She’s done.

  5. DeGise could go buy a monster truck and still get votes. Some people hate bicycles, they hate bike lanes causing a street to go from three lanes to one, and they will vote for her just to spite the progressives and environmentalists. You watch. She isn’t done at all. You watch.

  6. She needs her driving privilege’s removed and she needs locked up. Anyone with this level of integrity should not be serving in politics but should also not be allowed near children. People need to stop thinking they’re Jesus because of their job titles. Especially politicians that make laws and represent masses of communities. This is by far one of the most disgusting displays of negligence, ignorance, carelessness, selfishness, and down right f***** up. You don’t just hit people while driving and just keep going. There’s obviously no way she cares about anyone but herself.

  7. So what took her from November to February to pick her car up? A $100 warrant for what? Seems like her problems are deep…really deep. And why was she on MLK and Forrest 8 am in the morning hitting and running? This is what you get when people slide through like on the name and backs of prominent politicians and 0 else. Resign. You’re hitting your bottom.

  8. First and foremost, I am so impressed by this police officer. He remains cool, calm and collected even in the face of the massive sense of entitlement displayed by this woman.

  9. its kinda nice to see, when a person of stature who seemingly doesnt follow the law and seemingly disregards peoples lives ,,she exemplifies the meaning of the word bad taste and bad deportment and lying ,,she forgot to say to the police officer,”dont u know who i am:shout to dr ramani!!

  10. Officer Calderon should be commended for his professionalism and commitment to upholding the law. This DeGise train-wreck is an irresponsible, unprincipled, entitled be-otch. People like her don’t belong in office. They belong in jail. I wonder if she has the good sense to be embarrassed by this video. Probably not. I hope she gets the book thrown at her for the hit and run and is forced to resign. She should also be fired from her job because she is a terrible example to children. It’s disgusting that the corruption and nepotism in Hudson County politics got her elected in the first place. What a disservice to citizens! Lock her up!!

  11. It reminds me of the time Christopher Campos was arrested in NYC on a DWI charge and had the arresting officer call and Hoboken Police, they did and said we have a guy here who says he is the Hoboken City Council President what should we do ? Do your duty officer was the reply.

  12. Hit and run. DMV scofflaw. Living in rent control while making $200,000. Not paying a $3,000 vet bill. Did the cops check her trunk for a shovel and a bag of lye yet?

    I hope Hudson County’s other nepotism hire, Bobby Jr, was vetted better than Amy.

  13. How is she a Council Person in the State of New Jersey…!!!???!!!…in other states she would already be in jail for her…” hit and run”…on July 19th which she is also making excuses regarding that case and taking the victim stance as if she somehow is the victim of the accident…???…This woman is the definition of a “Karen” and certainly should not be representing anyone as a political officer considering she can’t even keep her own life organized and is clearly dishonest…

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