With Police Camera, It’s Smile and Say ‘Fees’
In an effort to recover more parking-ticket fines and penalties, the Cleveland (Ohio) Police Department has begun using a system that scans license plates and checks them against a database of unpaid parking tickets.
The system, called AutoVu Mobile, is being used to target drivers who owe more than $250 in unpaid fines and penalties and who had been notified twice about the debt.
The use of the system has resulted in 57 cars being towed and $29,000 in penalties collected from October through February, according to George Yarborough of Cleveland Municipal Court.
Other cities have also been using AutoVu to increase collection of parking fines. Sacramento, Calif.’s collection rate of parking tickets went from between 77 percent and 78 percent before AutoVu was used to “well over 80 percent” now, said Howard Chan, the city’s parking services manager. In addition, the system has aided in the recovery of 50 stolen vehicles, he said.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (03/13/07); P. B1; Albrecht, Brian.
