By Madi Alexander, Web Editor
The police department has raised fines for parking violations and added new penalties to the violations summons.
Fines have increased for littering, parking in a restricted area and incorrect parking on the new citation.
“The increase in the fees is generally a deterrent,” said Lyndel Harris, chief of police. “A $30 fine is not much of a deterrent.”
Some students have complained about an increase in tickets, but the numbers have decreased significantly from past years, Harris said.
The university police department has issued nearly 2,300 tickets this academic year, down from 3,592 in the 2011-12 academic year and 3,750 in the 2010-11 academic year.
Parking outside the legal lines and parking in the wrong permit zone are the most common violations, Harris said.
Two Student Code of Conduct violations also were added to the new violations summons.
Violators can be given a $100 fine for a minor in possession of alcohol and a $150 fine for possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia.
Despite the decrease in tickets, some students are frustrated with the strict enforcement of parking rules.
“I think they’ve definitely been harsh this year,” said Phil Nguyen, cell/molecular biology senior.
OCUPD placed an immobilizer on Nguyen’s vehicle for failure to pay tickets.
“They said that I haven’t been paying my tickets, which was understandable,” he said. “Without warning, they put the boot on my car, which seems unfair without notification.”
Vehicles without a current permit may be immobilized after three citations, and students accruing more than five tickets during the academic year may suffer additional fines or loss of parking privileges, according to the OCU parking regulations.
Students wishing to appeal a parking ticket or other violation should visit OCUPD in the Clara E. Jones Administration Building.
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