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Disabled Parking Volunteer Application
Handicap Parking Enforcement Report
TAC Video - Handicap Parking Bill Increases Penalties for Repeat Offenders
Statesman Parking Enforcement Article
Austin Chronicle Parking Enforcement Article
American Public Media Article - Cheating the (Parking) System
News 8 Austin - Stay Out of Handicapped Parking Spots
City of Austin - Accessible Parking PSA
© 2005, 2010 Constable Precinct Five,
Travis County, Texas |
Disabled Parking Enforcement
In September of 1995 pursuant to new state legislation, I established a Citizen
Handicap Parking Enforcement Program to ensure that handicap-parking spaces would
be available for those who are lawfully entitled to them. I fully expected that
with additional enforcement and publicity, citizens would come to understand the
need for these parking spaces and comply with state law. As this program begins
its 15th year of existence, handicap-parking violations remain as prevalent as
ever. It is still common to come across violators who do not have handicap parking
license plates or hang-tags, use other peoples’ plates or tags, park on the diagonally
striped areas for van unloading and block access ramps. Even though fines for
these offenses are $500 and up, the Constable's staff and citizen volunteers
will still write 1,000 or more tickets this year.
 The
most common excuses we hear are “I was just parked there for a minute” and the
spaces weren’t being used.” It only takes a minute for a disabled person to drive by,
not find an empty space and not be able to go where able-bodied people can go.
My goal remains to put this program out of business for lack of need - but to do
so I need your help. The first and most obvious assistance would be for everyone
to respect state handicap-parking laws. Since that is not likely to happen anytime
soon, we are accepting applications for citizen volunteers who will write tickets
when they find violations. Citizen volunteers must be Travis County residents at
least 18 years of age, have no criminal record and complete a 4-hour state mandated
training class.
Those who are interested in becoming citizen volunteers can obtain applications
HERE
or by calling the Precinct 5 office at 854-9100.
While parking illegally in handicap parking spaces might not rate as the most serious of
criminal offenses, violators who can walk a few extra feet to enter a business are often
obstructing access for those who cannot. Good citizenship requires that we all do our
part to ensure that the rights of those with physical disabilities are respected and
protected.
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