Pizza Delivery Cars Ram Legal Roadblock

Legislation that brought free national publicity to a San Diego-based pizza chain and amusement to legislative chambers here was signed into law Monday by Gov. George Deukmejian.

The signing could bring to a close a yearlong squabble between restaurateur Daniel Crotta and police officials who complained he went too far with his sales gimmick.

But police officials in San Diego say they will just have to wait and see.

The “pizza bill” by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) restricts the extent to which delivery cars for Crotta’s New York Pizza Department--N.Y.P.D.--can resemble the San Diego Police Department’s patrol cars.

Police officials and the City Council started pushing for legislation last year after the first of Crotta’s four-door white sedans, with fake light bars atop, took to the streets. Police officials said citizens were mistaking the pizza delivery car for patrol cars.

The bill signed by Deukmejian Monday will allow Crotta to keep fake light bars atop his delivery cars--but white ones that can’t be confused with amber, red and blue police siren lights. Crotta also has agreed to paint the cars bright blue and white, so they won’t resemble San Diego’s white patrol cars.