Campus police to crack down on illegal placard
use
By Doug Sulenta
The Collegian
Each semester at Fresno State,
University police confiscate more than 100 handicapped placards from students
using them illegally, the department said Friday.
To curb this problem, the police has formed a task force designed to catch
these individuals.
The misused handicapped placards may rightfully belong to anyone from
the student’s mother, grandmother or even a person who is deceased,
Officer Derek Brantley said. The police plan to catch students illegally
using these placards by asking for the appropriate paperwork that goes
along with their ownership.
University police also plan this semester to manually control traffic
on Barstow Avenue, Brantley said.
At the top and bottom quarter hour of every peak hour during the week,
the flow of both foot and vehicular traffic will be controlled by an officer.
“You’re going to see a lot more traffic control every day
on Barstow,” Brantley said.
Another violation university police said it is going to look for is jaywalking,
which gained attention last spring when the Fresno Police Department suddenly
began issuing tickets for the offense, mostly on Shaw and Cedar Avenues.
“It’s simply a hazard,” Sgt. Andy Washington of University
Police said. He expressed disbelief that there has not been an accident
involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on or near campus.
Officer Brantley offered advice to students looking to avoid a ticket.
He said many students get cited for illegal parking because they arrive
on campus late for a class, and feel pressured to park wherever they can
find a spot.
“Arrive at least an hour early, especially at the start of the semester,”
he said.
Brantley also said he wants students to remember to hang their parking
permit back up in their auto’s rearview mirror if they had taken
it down.
“A surprising number of tickets are issued to students that simply
forget to put their parking permit up in their windows,” he said.
Finally, Brantley said students can expect to see the university police
and parking officers take a more active role in safety and traffic affairs
on campus.
“Exercise common sense, and if you aren’t sure, just ask,”
he said. “There will be plenty of officers on campus this semester
and they are all willing to answer any questions you might have.”
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