FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 7/20/2010) A car parked in a no parking zone is, in a way, a vehicle thumbing its nose at law enforcement.
In Memphis, there are people who break parking laws every day, every week, every month, and every year.
There's a good chance that they won't pay their parking fines, either. And in Memphis, that's a big deal.
According to city court clerk Thomas Long, the city loses at least forty million dollars in parking fines every year.
We're talking some major league dough.
$40 million, give or take a few million.
"I'm open for any solution the city court clerk or anyone else has about how to collect that money," says Memphis City Councilman Jim Strickland.
Long is again considering asking for one city tow truck, and some parking boots. People would boot the tires of cars owned by people who owe hundreds in parking tickets.
The vehicle would then be towed to a lot, where the owner would have to pay fees before it was released. That's what Tom Long wants. And for years he hasn't been able to get City Council approval.
There is still opposition to the Tom Long plan. "We should give the person who has been issued tickets an opportunity to pay," says Memphis City Councilman Joe Brown. "But no to the towing the vehicle," he says, "because there might be an emergency the person needs to handle. Towing would also mean the person couldn't use his vehicle to get back and forth to work."
If you've ever been to Chicago, or New York, or if you've ever watched the reality show Parking Wars, you've see cities that take their parking ticket violations seriously.
Cars are routinely booted and towed. Supporters of this type of enforcement say take away the tow trucks and it's like pulling the teeth out of a lion's mouth.
All you have left is a big sloppy kitty.
Brown says there are other ways for officials to get the fines paid. "Issue them a subpoena immediately," he says. "Take them to court." But Jim Strickland says "I'm open to looking at towing somebody's car if they haven't paid their tickets. If they have X number of tickets that haven't been paid, we need to go out and collect it."
Long says he's not sure when he will bring his plan back before city council.
- Estimates are Memphis loses more than $40 million a year in parking fines
- Efforts to tow or boot people who owe hundreds in fines have failed in past
- Parking fines are dropped from the books after one year
(Memphis 7/20/2010) A car parked in a no parking zone is, in a way, a vehicle thumbing its nose at law enforcement.
In Memphis, there are people who break parking laws every day, every week, every month, and every year.
There's a good chance that they won't pay their parking fines, either. And in Memphis, that's a big deal.
According to city court clerk Thomas Long, the city loses at least forty million dollars in parking fines every year.
We're talking some major league dough.
$40 million, give or take a few million.
"I'm open for any solution the city court clerk or anyone else has about how to collect that money," says Memphis City Councilman Jim Strickland.
Long is again considering asking for one city tow truck, and some parking boots. People would boot the tires of cars owned by people who owe hundreds in parking tickets.
The vehicle would then be towed to a lot, where the owner would have to pay fees before it was released. That's what Tom Long wants. And for years he hasn't been able to get City Council approval.
There is still opposition to the Tom Long plan. "We should give the person who has been issued tickets an opportunity to pay," says Memphis City Councilman Joe Brown. "But no to the towing the vehicle," he says, "because there might be an emergency the person needs to handle. Towing would also mean the person couldn't use his vehicle to get back and forth to work."
If you've ever been to Chicago, or New York, or if you've ever watched the reality show Parking Wars, you've see cities that take their parking ticket violations seriously.
Cars are routinely booted and towed. Supporters of this type of enforcement say take away the tow trucks and it's like pulling the teeth out of a lion's mouth.
All you have left is a big sloppy kitty.
Brown says there are other ways for officials to get the fines paid. "Issue them a subpoena immediately," he says. "Take them to court." But Jim Strickland says "I'm open to looking at towing somebody's car if they haven't paid their tickets. If they have X number of tickets that haven't been paid, we need to go out and collect it."
Long says he's not sure when he will bring his plan back before city council.
