Thursday, July 27, 2000 Older Editions

Citizens on patrol will capture lawbreakers on film: Hey! You can't park there!

By Rebecca Piro

If the open, handicapped parking space in front of your ATM or coffee stop looks tempting, you might want to keep on driving.

Otherwise, you could be photographed in the act of parking -- by volunteers with Polaroid cameras -- and then slapped with a $100 fine by the police.

The Board of Selectmen approved the establishment of a volunteer, handicapped-parking enforcement program in hopes of impressing upon town residents the importance of leaving handicapped spaces for those who truly need them.

People parking in handicapped parking spaces is a serious problem, says Police Chief Brian Pattullo, who fined 47 offenders during the past fiscal year.

To curb the parking problem, starting Oct. 1, five or six volunteers from the commission will be trained and armed with the instant cameras as they go upon their daily business, explains Pattullo. If they spot a violation, one quick click will record the offending vehicle on film.

The photograph is mailed to the vehicle owner's house, and a ticket for $100 will be tucked neatly behind it, he says. Plus, the $100 fine is twice the price that handicapped parking violators have paid in the past.

Both Pattullo and Commission on Disabilities Chairman Michael Warshawsky, who have worked together to get the program approved, feel it is high time that space-stealing residents start paying dearly.

"$100 is kind of a standard at this point," says Warshawsky, pointing out that it is the average fine for handicapped-parking violations in other local communities.

"You have to consider the reason those parking spots are there," says Pattullo. "It is extremely inconvenient for a handicapped person to not be able to park (closer to their destination)."

Handicapped spaces are not the only protected areas that now have twice the fine. Not part of the program, but just as damaging to one's wallet, will be fire-lane and fire-hydrant parking violations, which have also jumped to $100. These violations are life-safety issues, says Pattullo. Every second that a car is parked in a fire truck's path could mean saving or losing a person's life, he says.

Warshawsky expects to see a change quickly. "Just the three digits alone is enough to scare people," he says.