Handicap Parking Enforcement Program 8/6/13 K.Agee

One of the items we discussed at our 3^rd quarter WGNA meeting (7 p.m. 7/25/13 at the Christian Church, Lawler @ Jupiter) was a program sponsored by the Garland Police Department which trains citizen-volunteers how to help enforce parking violations related to handicap parking spaces.

This is actually an extension of the Garland Citizen’s Police Academy, in the sense that volunteers must first complete that training (see http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/gov/lq/safety/police/cpa.asp for details).

So far, 12 volunteers have completed this additional training, and are now able to help ensure that people who actually need the handicap parking spaces will have access. Volunteers receive magnetic signs to apply to their own vehicles, to denote their special assignment. They will have received training so that they will be in compliance with both department and State requirements. It should be noted that these participants are not sworn police officers and have no other enforcement authority beyond that of any resident, except for issuing handicap parking violation citations.

Additional information on the Handicap Parking Enforcement Program can be found at this website:

http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=154&TargetID=23