By Joseph Altman Jr.
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Two students were arrested Wednesday at the Parking and Transportation Appeals Office, after they took their disapproval of the UA's parking system to extremes.
In two separate incidents, Jeffrey M. Lewis, 21, of the 3700 block of North Campbell Avenue, was charged with five counts of theft of services, and Robert W. Iverson, 21, of the 7100 block of Camino de los Cabillos was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage under $250.
University of Arizona police first received a call from parking and transportation at 2:50 p.m. in response to a student suspected of changing license plates on his vehicle to avoid payment of several outstanding parking citations.
The vehicle was cited and immobilized earlier with a boot device while displaying a New Jersey license plate. The vehicle was listed by Parking and Transportation as having four outstanding parking citations, according to police reports.
When Lewis, the vehicle's owner, came to the appeals office at 1530 E. Sixth St., he said the wrong license plate was listed on the immobilization notice. An enforcement officer went to check the vehicle, which was displaying a different New Jersey plate. The second plate had a record of three outstanding citations.
The enforcement officer spoke to a student who had parked in the space next to Lewis's vehicle, who said he saw "a guy" changing the vehicle's license plates, police reports said.
After reading Lewis his Miranda rights, a UAPD officer asked Lewis if he was the one who changed the plates.
The reports said Lewis admitted the action by saying, "Yes, I did it."
Lewis could not be reached for comment, but in a voluntary statement given to police, he said he switched the license plates because he could not afford to pay the meters.
While the officer was investigating the theft case, another student entered the appeals office and allegedly became disorderly after being told he would have to pay a fine to recover his impounded bicycle.
The UAPD officer heard a male voice and saw someone quickly walk by a doorway. The officer then heard a loud noise and a parking and transportation appeals officer hurried to the reception area, saying a student, later identified as Iverson, had just slammed the door because he was upset, police said.
The officer checked the door for damage and observed an 18-inch crack in the doorjamb along the top hinge.
The appeals officer who spoke with Iverson told police he already had become vulgar and disorderly in the office, and said she was scared when he slammed the door, according to the police report.
Facilities Management estimated the damage at $40. When Iverson heard the estimate, he laughed and said, "I'll see you in court because I'll never pay for it."
He then was cited and released.
Marlis Davis, director of parking and transportation services, said incidents like the ones that occurred Wednesday are not unusual.
"We do have students who become extremely upset at times," she said. "It's not a daily occurrence to that extent, but it does happen Ÿ probably more than just occasionally."
Davis said the police are called at times when students become threatening, and things have been damaged by students previously at the department's offices.
To deal with such situations, Davis said all parking and transportation employees have extensive training in customer service and in dealing with irate people.
"When we hire, we screen for people with high public contact backgrounds," Davis said.
In Lewis's voluntary statement, he said, "I felt the need to switch my plates because I was unable to get a parking permit and could not afford to keep paying $5 a day to park.
"Parking on campus is not suitable and should be looked at. The parking should be free for off-campus students," Lewis said. "I just can't afford to pay these outrageous parking fees."
But Davis said there are proper channels students can go through to voice their complaints rather than resorting to illegal means.
"They can call me," Davis said. "I take all those calls.
"I just hung up with a guy that was a little upset over having to pay an extra dollar in the parking garage because he stayed 15 minutes over," she said. "I'll talk with any of those people. I'm always willing to take any complaints that have substance."
Davis said there is also a parking and transportation committee of two staff, two faculty and two students that is there if someone wants to express a concern.
"We're not perfect here," Davis said. "Some of these complaints are legitimate, but we can't do anything if we don't know what they are."