Parking security officers enforce parking regulations, issue fines and impound illegally parked vehicles. They also reserve spaces for disabled drivers and may handle minor road violations.
A parking security officer is responsible for ensuring drivers comply with local parking restrictions. Typically, these officers are municipal officials, and in some countries these individuals are referred to as “traffic guards”. While some regional governments employ full-time police, in other areas local police are tasked with enforcing parking regulations.
In many cities, drivers are only allowed to park in specially designated zones or parking lots. Police officers patrol no-parking areas of the city in residential neighborhoods, areas outside certain businesses, and along major thoroughfares. Police officers typically carry a parking ticket booklet and place tickets on the windshields of illegally parked vehicles. Typically, a parking enforcement officer should also note the registration number of a fined vehicle, so that the driver can be traced if the fine is not paid within a specific time period. In some locations, police officers also have the authority to assess fines for drivers who block intersections or stop their vehicles while unloading passengers, even if they keep the engine running at all times.
Many parking operators and government agencies reserve certain spaces for drivers with physical disabilities. These parking spaces are clearly marked and an enforcement officer can assess a fine on any driver who illegally parks in such a space. Usually, the cars of disabled drivers can be easily identified, because many local governments provide these drivers with parking badges or cards that they must attach to the inside of the windshield.
In some areas, a parking enforcement agent has the authority to impound illegally parked vehicles, and these agents can arrange for towing companies to move these vehicles to secure government-operated parking lots. Drivers must pay a hefty fee to retrieve cars that have been towed. Additionally, officers may have cars towed away with outdated license plates or expired registration tags, as these vehicles cannot be driven on the road. In addition to towing vehicles, some parking agents place metal clips on vehicle wheels that prevent the driver from operating the vehicle. To remove a hairpin, the driver must pay the parking ticket.
Police officers who enforce parking laws are able to investigate other types of violations, but in some areas people who are employed specifically as parking officers also have the authority to handle other minor violations involving roads. These officers may sometimes assess tickets for pedestrians crossing roads at locations that are not designated crossing points. Additionally, some officers are tasked with directing vehicles when traffic signals stop working.
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