Volunteers Checking Handicapped Parking Spots In Tulsa

The City of Tulsa has rolled out a new program to crack down on people who park illegally in handicapped spots.

Volunteers will patrol parking lots, spot the vehicles and call police. Officers will respond as they can to issue the tickets.

02/21/2012 Related Story: Trained Tulsa Volunteers To Look For Disabled Parking Violations

David Armstrong volunteered to help enforce Tulsa's parking laws and now he's out driving, looking for cars in handicapped spaces without the proper permit. They're not hard to find.

For Armstrong, it's a very personal issue, because he's disabled and often cannot find an empty space.

"And if they're all full, and nobody has a handicapped sticker, that's frustrating, for me, for anybody with a disability," Armstrong said.

Armstrong's volunteer role is limited. He just spots the cars and checks their permits. He can tell if they're expired. He takes down the information and calls police. The volunteers don't write out ticket or confront the drivers.

"I call the non-emergency number to the police department, give them the information and go on down the road," he said.

"It really does create a level of frustration for people who need those handicapped spaces," said Lana Turner-Addison with the City of Tulsa.

Turner-Addison says similar programs have worked in other cities.

"Our ultimate goal is to make people more aware and a lot are aware, just to be considerate. People say they were just going to be there a minute, I'll be in and out, nobody was using the spot and those types of excuses are just unacceptable," she said.

Armstrong believes the new threat of a ticket - because of the volunteer enforcement - will help free up some of these spots for the people who really need them.

People who park in spots without the appropriate placard or handicapped tag are subject to a $150 fine.

Volunteers are issued only a vest and some paperwork, and supply their own vehicles, gas and cell phones.

A similar program in Oklahoma City resulted in 4700 citations being issued last year.