See, journalism can do its job. Here's a case in point. The city of Albany, NY, has a looming parking scandal. Seems the police department, which issues parking tickets, has had a policy of issuing "ghost" or no charge citations to its current staff, former staff, and anyone else, it seems, that can con them out of a "bulls eye" decal.
The parking enforcement officers simply note that the car has one of these "get out of parking fine free" decals and the ticket is noted as a 'no charge' ticket.
HUH – first of all, why?
The police are fumbling, but say that the program was put in place originally so officers and court officials could part their private cars when they went to court. It seems that over the past decade and a half this slippery slope got out of hand.
Second – how do you know?
How does the parking office know, when a ticket is written as one of these, that it's actually a vehicle with the decal, or a friend of the parking enforcement officer.
Well, you know the rest of the questions.
This all came to light when the local paper, the Albany Times Union and its writers BRENDAN J. LYONS AND TIM O'BRIEN, got wind of the story and then researched and printed it last week. The result was of course a city council waxing indignant and calls for someone's head. Read the very complete article here. Way to go guys…
Hat Tip: Manny "the Bull" from the UK. His comment:
This wonderful working practice is stated to have taken place during the last 15 years and says allot of the fact that in the US parking rules and regulations are there for some and not others.
Manny has a point. This article makes you wonder just where else this practice is taking place
I have a note in to the head of the Albany Parking Authority (who, I think, has nothing to do with this) but maybe he can give us some background.
JVH
UPDATE: Mike Klein at Albany Parking Authority concurs that all he knows is what he reads in the paper — and yes, he and his group have nothing to do with on street enforcement
