Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Middletown Patch: 137% Increase in Middletown Parking Tickets

Well, this is one way to increase revenue in order to balance the budget - MM

Middletown hired a special police officer in 2015 specifically assigned to parking enforcement, the township tells Patch.
Middletown, NJ - If you think Middletown police have been handing out more parking tickets lately, well, you’re right. They are.
The number of parking tickets written by Middletown Township police increased a whopping 137% in the period of July 2015 through December 2015 compared to that same time span a year earlier, July 2014 through Dec. 2014. 
This is according to new data released by New Jersey’s court system, which compiles statistics for every municipal court in the state. The state keeps a record of all criminal court filings, as well as DWI, traffic and parking tickets, said Winnie Comfort, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey court system. 
Middletown officials said the increased number of tickets is because the township hired a Special Law Enforcement Officer last year, specifically assigned to parking enforcement.
“The increase in parking enforcement is primarily due to a change in personnel, which involved the addition of a Special Law Enforcement Officer assigned to parking enforcement,” Cindy Herrschaft, public information officer for the township, told Patch Tuesday. ”Previously, the duties had been handled on a part-time basis by a civilian employee who had other primary duties.”...

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to know where these tickets are being given out. I have very little tolerance for laws that are unduly burdensome to residents, and I can think of a few poor folks who are likely recipients of the tickets. Parking shortages in the train and bus lots make commuters easy targets, for one. And there are areas in the north part of town with lots of small homes, short driveways, and narrow streets -- parking is at a premium there, too. Also I recall a new local law last year limiting parking for business vehicles in residential areas. Some businessowners have probably been ticketed as a result. I get that the law is the law, blah blah blah, but let's face it, this is as much about revenue as anything else. We're lucky we no longer have to worry about red-light cameras.