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Nearly 4,000 tickets issued by UA Parking last month

UA Parking and Transportation officials issued almost 4,000 parking citations last month, even though the director said the department is more lenient at the beginning of the school year.

Marlis Davis, director of Parking and Transportation Services, said the money generated from citations goes to the parking operations budget - which is not a part of the University of Arizona - to help pay for parking lot upkeep, maintaining garages, salaries, citation hearings and special projects.

One such project is the development of two $10 million parking lots - one north of Coronado Residence Hall near East Fourth Street and the other by the UAPD headquarters on North Fremont Avenue.

Davis said most citations are due to students parking in a lot without a permit.

Last year, parking officers issued about $1 million worth of citations, but only collected 75 percent of that money.

When a student receives a citation, he or she has the choice to pay for the ticket or file an appeal.

Davis said there is little point in appealing because most of the time students are guilty of the violation.

When students appeal, they go through a hearing. If a decision isn't made there, they go through a second level hearing. The next and final step, if a decision isn't made, is the hearing board. Citations seldom reach that point, Davis said.

During the appeal process, citations can be upheld, dismissed or reduced from $25 to $6.

Three unpaid citations are the most a student can receive before their car is booted or towed. Last year, 640 cars were booted.

Joyce Childers, program director for Parking and Transportation, said their officers do more than write tickets and are not out to get people.

Childers said officers have given free assistance to about 1,500 motorist in the past year. They help unlock doors and repair tires. But they do not change tires because of potential risk that can cause tire damage.

Officers have new hand-held citation writers that make them aware of outstanding citations and lost permits. The high-tech device is updated every day.

The officers are often verbally assaulted, which is why they avoid confrontation, Childers said.

No officers have been injured in the three years Childers has been with the department.