Craig Jaccuzzo, director of University Police, explained several reasons this week for parking citations, such as those for decal placement.Jaccuzzo said that there is no set quota for the students who write citations because there is no need.
“When you look at a work day from a University police officer standpoint between handling calls, directing traffic and working radar, they’re really busy,” Jaccuzzo said. “I just want to make sure that they’re busy and they justify their existence between their work and what they produce.”
The department currently employs nine student workers and two intermittent workers, which are non-student employees that can give citations and work at least 20 hours a week.
Jaccuzzo said that he asks the workers to concentrate on the parking areas that people use the most, which are around the academic buildings. The lots are regulated so people have the spaces available to park. Citations discourage students from parking in the areas that are not assigned to them.
“That’s the purpose of writing parking tickets,” Jaccuzzo said. “We write citations to make people follow the guidelines and to keep those spots available.”
Jaccuzzo said that sometimes students comment that the department or University is “money hungry,” but that is not the case.
“The revenue does not benefit our department,” Jaccuzzo said. “For me, what benefits our department is when there is ample opportunity for everyone to park in available spots that are close, and we do that by enforcing those guidelines.”
Jaccuzzo said the department also offers alternatives to paying for parking citations.
“We offer community service for those fines,” Jaccuzzo said. “You can have two tickets and do community service, and they won’t cost you, so the money shouldn’t be an issue.”
Jaccuzzo also said that students have been complaining about citations related to parking decals.
According to the University Parking/Traffic Regulations Handbook, “Student permits must be affixed directly to the outside of the passenger side of the rear windshield. Permits may not be taped to the inside of the window.”
“We’ve probably written close to 75 citations in the last couple of days for their decals being layered on top of other decals,” Jaccuzzo said. “There’s a reason for that. The adhesive that we use for the decals sticks to the glass, but when you put it on top of another vinyl sticker in 100 degree weather, it’s easy to pull off.”
Jaccuzzo said he has received multiple reports of decals being stolen.
“I told my workers to just start writing citations for the decals,” Jaccuzzo said. “I’ll tell students, ‘look I’m going to grant the appeal, but you have to scrape off the decal and put it correctly on the glass,’ because some kids are out there watching cars and trying to pull decals off to put on their own vehicles.”
He said that students are still not satisfied. Every decal that has been reported stolen is recorded in the system, so if someone gets caught with a decal with one of those numbers, they will be charged for theft.
“I can ask kids to come in and remove their decals, but until I give them a ticket, they won’t come,” Jaccuzzo said.
He said that the department is just trying to be proactive.
“We do it because it’s our job,” Jaccuzzo said.
Anyone with questions or concerns may contact University Police at (985) 448-4746.
