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Home My WebLink AboutCP 195 CIT FO WO , TEXAS � o COUNCIL PROPOSAL ate File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program 10-31_95 195 for the City of Fort Worth roposed by City Manager's Revie Mavor Ka Granger - kage—of S VOLUNTEER DICABILITY I PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM 0 LEGALITY O FISCAL NOTE 0 CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS 0 CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO 'WO , TEXAS 0 C' i COUNCIL PROPOSAL u File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program ` )-31-95 I 195 for the City of Fort Worth )osed by City Manager's Review favor Kay Granger Page-2—of 8 ! i; INTRODUCTION I ' PURPOSE I I�The Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities recommends the Fort Worth City Council adopt the Volunteer Disability Parking I� Enforcement Program. � The committee makes this recommendation after extensive research of similarro rams in operation in other U.S. Cities, and after P g consultation with Fort Worth Chief of Police, Risk Management and the City of Fort Worth legal staff. IIS 1� II I 3 LEGALITY 3 FISCAL NOTE 3 CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS 3 CITY POLICIES MANUAL Ill CIT FO Wo , TEXAS Q. .a COUNCIL. PROPOSAL Jate File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program 10-31-95 195 for the City of Fort Worth proposed by Qty Managers Review Mavor Kav Granger Page of POLICY STATEMENT The City of Fort Worth recognizes the needs of our Disabled Citizens and the need to update the Motor Vehicles and Traffic Safety Code to conform to existing laws. Imagine being physically limited or even barred from performing simple, routine tasks like going to a restaurant or a shopping center. Even when these activities are possible, imagine further the frustration disabled citizens must feel when they discover that their designated parking space is filled by the vehicle of a non-disabled citizen. Although the Fort Worth Police Department is and has been responsive to the needs of our disabled community, an officer may not be available when a disabled citizen is trying to park his/her vehicle. The program would allow trained volunteers, under the direction and supervision of the police department to enforce the attached parking ordinance. A training package would be developed (with community input) and provided by the police department and the Fort Worth Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities. After completing their training, volunteers would be assigned a target area to be monitored only during daylight- hours. The program would be supplemented by public education activities designed to encourage voluntary compliance. ORGANIZATION The Volunteer Disability Parking Enforcement Program, being a volunteer organization with limited authority, should follow particular guidelines. 0 LEGALITY 0 FISCAL NOTE 0 CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS 0 CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIS' FO WO , TEXAS � e COUNCIL PROPOSAL. ,die File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program 16-31-95 195 for the City of Fort Worth proposed by City Manager's Review Mavor Ka Gran er Page.-!—of Whenever a' volunteer under the jurisdiction of the Volunteer Disability Parking Enforcement Specialist Program of the City of Fort Worth observes a motor vehicle in violation of the ordinance, that volunteer shall have the authority to issue a traffic ticket, which shall be directed to the owner of such vehicle, and shall set forth the nature of the violation. Any such citation shall be treated in the same manner as a citation ,issued by any Police Officer of the City of Fort Worth. RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTEER DISABILITY PARKING ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST In order to address legitimate concerns expressed by city management about liability, the Mayor's Committee only recommends a a non-confrontational program where volunteers may only ticket unoccupied vehicles during daylight hours. Volunteers will sign a liability release and waiver. Volunteers will be issued a unique identification card, a wallet-size laminated certificate, and a distinctive identifier (i.e., vest with program logo, cap, arm band, etc.) for field identification. Any volunteer would be placed in probationary status if a complaint is received and would be dismissed from the program after two substantive complaints . Volunteers would serve at the discretion of the Police Chief or hisjher designee .under very clear rules of conduct. 0 LEGALITY 0 FISCAL NOTE d CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS CJ CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO .Wo , TEXAS ° 0' w i COUNCIL PROPOSAL ate File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program 10-31-95 195 for the City of Fort Worth oposed by City Manager's Review Mayor Kay Granger Page__5_Of 8 TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS The Fort Worth Police Department would be responsible for providing training programs. Volunteers successfully completing the training program would be issued a certificate of training by the police department. V Essentially, the volunteers would be enforcing only one parking regulation. Aside from training in the technical area of "writing a ticket", the volunteers would also be exposed to topics such as human relations• and communication, courtroom testimony, safety training, and the assorted policies and program procedures they would operate under. Appendix C presents a proposed outline_ of the training for the program. SUPERVISION The program would be supervised by an officer designated by the Chief of Police. This police supervisor would be responsible for assigning and verifying patrol times, assigning all ticket books and keeping a permanent record of the citations issued. An approved job description is located in Appendix B. i li i 0 LEGALITY 0 FISCAL NOTE 0 CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS 1 0 CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO WO , TEXAS rni COUNCIL. PROPOSAL gate Fie Number . Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program 10-31-95 195 for the City of Fort Worth Proposed by Cly Managers Review Mavor Ka Granger Page 6 oi_e OPERATIONS Although no specific times or shifts of operation would be established, each volunteer would, prior to going on patrol, call the Communications Center and notify them of the following: 1 . Their name and vehicle description. 2 . What area of town they would be patrolling. 3 . What times they would be working (Limited to daylight hours only) . 4 . Schedule regular call-in procedures with Program Supervisor. The Clerk/Dispatcher receiving the call would then notify shift commander as to the above information. The patrol officers would then be aware of the location and times volunteers would be working. If the volunteer is not on duty but happens to see a violation while shopping and/or on an errand, the volunteer may take enforcement action but must turn their parking citations in at Police Headquarters prior to the end of that day. Some safeguards would be necessary to ensure that the volunteer would be safe during his or her activities. All volunteers would be instructed to avoid confrontations that might occur. In those situations where a confrontation could occur and the citizen is argumentative or abusive towards the volunteer, the volunteer would be instructed to leave the area and contact the program supervisor on duty. The volunteer would provide the program supervisor with the license number of the vehicle involved and a description of the violator. To ensure that the volunteer records the license number of the violator vehicle, they would be trained. The overriding concern in these cases, is for the volunteer to avoid serious . confrontations and possible injury issuing a parking violation. Each volunteer would be issued parking summonses at the monthyly meeting by the Program Supervisor. Records would be maintained indicating which series of summonses are issued to each volunteer. r� All completed summonses would be returned to the Police Department. v 0 LEGALITY FISCAL NOTE CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS CITY POLICIES MANUAL 1U-251ffgJJUJf UU1 IU 77 14 •UZ N0 .UU10 r .U7 CIT FO wo , TEXAS t COUNCIL PROPOSAL Dale File Number Subject Disah)ed Volunteer Parking enforcement Pr.ograiu 10-31-95 195 for the City of Fort Worth Proposed by CYy Managers Review Ma or Kay Gran er 7=[Pa7ge?of 8 CONCLUSION A Volunteer- Disability Parking Enforcement Program as detailed would enhance the Police Department's sensitivity to the needs of our disabled community. It would also serve as an ongoing link through which the Fort Worth Police Department could communicate more effectively with the citizens it serves. It would further serve as an example of community "power sharing" in that the Police Department would be sharing its' responsibllities in the arca of parking enforcement with the community. Greater citizen interactions build stronger support- for both the Police Department and the community . . . a win-win situation. The Volunteer Disability Parking Enforcement Program would be relatively simple to organize and maintain. Responsibilities and authority would be limited and the program would be closely monitored to ensure it remains focused on .its' overall objective of deterence and enforcement. initially, the media attention which would surely surface under such a unique program would, by itself, raise the consciousness of citizens about the problems of our disabled community and would serve: _ to deter many potential violators. Once established, the program should have a minimal impact on the City budget. it is expected that the supervisory responsibilities would be hold to a minimum through effective use of the program supervisor, and that the costs associated with training would not be great. The proposed program addresses a specific need which has been raised by disabled members of the community. Similar typos of programs are operating successfully in numerous cities throughout the United States. It is the hope of the Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disab.iJiLles that the adoption of this Volunteer Disability Parking Enforcement Program by the City of Fort Worth would increase voluntary compliance with disabled parking regulations and would enhance respect not only for the letter of the law but for its spirit as well . ❑ LEGALITY p FISCAL NOTE O CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS O CITY POLICIES MANUAL r t CIT FO Wo , TEXAS I f� COUNCIL PROPOSAL ; File Number Subject Disabled Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program f 95 195 For the City of Fort Worth d by City Manager's Review Mayor Kay Granger Page 8 of 8i SII RECOMMENDATION I i..C Adopt the attached amended ordinance b 1 � d I' I° lyyi � f� it i � �t ;f 'ALITY CAL NOTE Y MANAGER'S COMMENTS kill Y POLICIES MANUALS +