Crime May Not Pay Enough

Since the beginning of 2000, the City of Beverly Hills has commenced a remarkable enforcement effort. It has confiscated 160 state-issued disabled drivers' blue placards for being used illegally.

The blue placards are provided for the use of people with physician-certified disabilities. They are to be displayed in vehicle windshields by either the patient or the person who is driving them.

Too often they are used by those for whom they were not intended. That means that an able-bodied person is improperly taking up a parking space to which they are not entitled. Often they remain in the same parking space all day without putting so much as a quarter in the meter.

This means that customers cannot find parking spaces to which they are entitled, merchants are missing sales and the city is missing revenue from its unfed parking meters.

As of 11/2000, the City's parking enforcement staff had confiscated 160 placards. Some of these belonged to long-deceased relatives of the offenders.

In addition, the fine for illegal use of such placards is $500 for a total, so far, of $80,000. At the same time, the city has also given tickets to 111 drivers who were illegally parked in spaces marked for the disabled. The fine for such a violation is $330 for a total of $36,630. The grand total of these two enforcement effort categories may amount to as much as $116,630.

However, this is not all gravy for the city coffers. By the time the costs for enforcement and administrative personnel are taken into account and fees to the court and the state are considered, it may be an economic wash.

Nevertheless, these noble enforcement efforts are a definite social plus for the community and are accomplishing exactly what was intended.

Bravo to council and staff for a job well done!