NASSAU COUNTY, NY –Top Nassau officials take unmarked county cars home, despite a county law restricting the practice, according to Newsday.

The Nassau County Vehicle Control Act requires that county cars be clearly identified as official vehicles and prohibits the cars’ being taken home unless the driver is on 24-hour call and has a documented history of working after hours. The law was enacted in 2000 as one of the Democrats’ first reform measures after they won control of the county legislature.

But the cars driven by high-level county officials, including some deputy county executives and commissioners, do not sport the “clearly visible” Nassau County insignia on their doors, as required. Those officials also take the cars home. These officials justified their use by saying they work many off hours.

After Newsday inquired about compliance, Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs promised a top-to-bottom investigation into enforcement of the law, passed during her watch. Jacobs requested that the administration provide a list of all county employees who have cars and the reasons for their having them. She asked the legislature’s budget review director to report on the costs of county car use. And she asked the budget review committee chairwoman to hold a hearing on car use, according to Newsday.