“Runner with a Heart” statue located outside of White hall. Courtesy of The Tangerine’s photo file

At the beginning of each semester, Campus Safety saw an uptick in vehicle traffic and parking violations such as speeding, going through stop signs and unlawfully parking in handicapped or maintenance spaces. 

Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management Shad Crowe said the Strebel circle is the most common place of violation because of its proximity to the bookstore and dining hall. 

When reviewing security footage from Strebel circle, almost every time someone unlawfully parks in those spaces, someone parks near the wrongfully parked car soon after, “and it’s clear they needed the spot that’s being taken by this person who doesn’t have a need for the accommodation,” Crowe said. Students, faculty and staff have been guilty at various times of wrongful parking in handicapped spaces.

“Occasionally mistakes are made across the entire community,” he said. “It’s not restricted to just one group.”

Crowe said most violations occur when someone parks unlawfully due to a temporary medical condition. 

Director of Campus Safety Roberta Comerford said in those cases, campus safety can educate students on how to go about obtaining temporary permission to park in those spaces legally. Students and employees need to have a doctor’s note for campus safety to be aware of the necessary parking accommodations because, in some cases, wrongful parking in handicapped spaces is intentional, according to Comerford. 

“The problem with parking in those spots is we actually have people who work and are students here that need those spots,” Crowe said. 

In September, the campus safety team focused on making sure that wasn’t happening. Comerford said when unlawful parking continued from the education phase in September into the early part of October, campus safety booted a few cars with repeated violations. The boot is secured on a car’s wheel, forcing the driver to go to Campus Safety who remove the boot after speaking with the violator. 

“We want to educate. We really don’t want to be the bad guys,” she said. “We want people just to do the right thing and if they’re not sure, to come talk to us.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the university to have a certain number of handicapped parking spots based on the total parking spots on campus. Crowe said the university’s number of handicapped parking spots exceeds the suggested amount by the ADA to make sure there is plenty of parking for those who need the accommodation.

Some colleges have local police agencies patrolling their campuses, said Crowe, and should there be a police officer on campus who has witnessed the violation, they are within the bounds of the law to write a ticket and hold the violator accountable in the courts of law. However, Utica does not have a police agency patrolling the campus. Students are initially warned and given a $50 fine by campus safety for parking in these spaces but are sent to student conduct if the violation is repeated. 

Once a student receives a third parking ticket, they are referred to student conduct and the Director of Community Standard Carl Lohmann. Students usually adjust and Lohmann said he rarely sees students a second time.