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.”