Dozens of cars were seized in Yonkers overnight for having illegal paper license plates.

Operation Clean Plate resulted in 56 vehicles impounded and dozens of summonses issued in Yonkers.

"This is a crackdown on these illegal vehicles so we could stop them before they break more laws," says Yonkers Police Deputy Chief Chris Sapienza.

Sapienza says they didn't target residents who simply forgot to register their vehicles. Instead, they went after vehicles with imposter paper plates used to avoid traffic fines and tickets.

"You could go through a red-light camera and there is no repercussion, you could park at a fire hydrant and there is no repercussion," says Sapienza.

The vehicles towed during the operation owe more than $80,000 in parking and traffic camera fines combined.

Police say the counterfeit paper plates were labeled with states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas.

Yonkers police say more crackdowns on illegal paper plates are likely in the future.

Operation Clean Plates was conducted with cooperation from Westchester County police.