A Streetsblog tipster snapped this photo yesterday afternoon. Note the Starsky & Hutch-style siren on the dashboard of the SUV hanging off the back of that tow truck. The photographer reports that NYPD tow trucks have been racking up the hours in December clearing the streets of Chinatown, and as you can see in the photo above, they are finally "towing their own".

When we last reported on the 5th precinct’s parking situation two weeks ago, placard abusers were filling up the empty parking spots as quickly as the tow trucks could clear them out. Now, the tipster claims that over 90% of placarded vehicles have been removed from Chinatown’s clogged streets. Ho ho ho!