Chicago Parking Tickets Soon To Include Photo Evidence
Hey Chicago! Enough with the cameras already!
First it was blue light cameras in high crime areas. Then it was red light cameras. More recently we found out street sweeper cameras were on the way, possibly followed by snowplow cameras.
Today, the Chicago Dept. of Revenue announced it will now start including photographic evidence with their tickets.
However, it will be, at least initially, for very specific violations.
These violations will be failure to display city sticker, expired license and any residential permit parking violation.
The photos will be mailed with the Notice of Violation.
You will be able to view the photographs via the Dept. of Revenue website. Check out the magenta colored box in the upper right hand of DOR’s homepage where you will type in your citation number and license plate number. Once logged in, you can view the photos attached to the ticket.
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the city spent $2 million to purchase 140 handheld units that can take photos, from Duncan Technologies (one of the big three of parking meter manufacturing).
To my mind, these type of violations actually lend themselves to photographic proof. Because if those stickers are not where they should be, BOOM, you’re in violation.
This type of enforcement cuts both ways. It’s going to be much harder to dispute photographic evidence in addition to your ticket. At the same time, we’ve heard plenty of stories of drivers who get ticketed for not having their city sticker, or expired driver’s license sticker, etc., when they actually have it. So, the photographs will also hold the parking enforcement officers to a higher standard as well.
Here’s the official press release from the Dept. of Revenue.
The funniest thing about the press release is the quote from Revenue Director Bea Reyna-Hickey, who said, “It’s important that people adhere to our parking laws if we’re to provide every neighborhood with adequate parking and protect their safety.”
Safety?!? Adequate parking?!? C’mon Bea! Your title is Revenue Director! Not Safety Director or Parking Director. Just tell us the truth. These photographic tickets will end up meaning less people contesting their tickets and more people paying their tickets. This $2 million dollar investment in equipment is to increase revenue, not improve safety or parking conditions. What a laughable statement!
More info as it become available.
[...] The Department of Revenue recently purchased 140 of these units for $2 million and began using the c…, who are in violation of failure to display a city sticker, missing or improper display of front license plate, residential permit parking violations and expired license plates. [...]
[...] the Dept. of Revenue gave Parking Ticket Aides (PEAs) the new Duncan AutoCites to issue tickets several months ago, the violation was printed on only one [...]
[...] Ticketmaster normally, but earlier in the year, the city put out a press release stating they spent $2 million for 140 of these new units with photographic [...]
[...] contends Bruner who listed the closing of the Kedzie facility, the recent rollout of the new AutoCITE handheld ticketing units that can provide photo documentation of violations that may be discouraging people from contesting [...]
[...] Parking Enforcement Aides (PEA’s) utilizing the new AutoCITE handheld ticket printers with photographic capabilities back in August 2008, the PEA’s were instructed to use them on just four limited [...]
[...] cost however, could be intimidating. The Dept. of Revenue spent $2 million for 140 AutoCITE units over a year ago. Issuing one of these units to every police officer, or even, every squad car, along with TMAs and [...]
[...] were purchased for a rather exorbitant amount. How exorbitant, you ask? According to sources, the company bought 140 “AutoCite” parking ticket printing/camera units from Duncan [...]