STONE HARBOR – Responding to a question from Stone Harbor Council members, June 20, Police Chief Thomas Schutta said the borough issued 564 parking tickets in May 2023 compared to 33 in May 2022.
This year, the town went with the ParkMobile App as the only way to pay for parking. Kiosks were removed, meters dismantled and sold, and a previous app, which was not used anywhere else in the county, was discontinued.
The result, at least in the first month since the changeover, was a whopping increase in the number of residents and visitors who received parking violations.
When asked if the large growth in tickets issued meant that enforcement had been overzealous, Schutta said, “Not at all.”
What Changed?
In the first month of paid parking for a new season in the past, the police department issued one warning notice prior to issuing a ticket. This year, the department ended that practice because the app does it for them.
When a driver uses the ParkMobile App to pay and legally park, the app takes on the responsibility of warning the driver when time is running out. Using a smartphone, the driver can then increase the time and pay the extra from a restaurant table, a local shop, or anywhere else in the borough.
Those expecting a continuation of the written warning process had a rude awakening to the perils of an app-driven world.
A second change that came with the adoption of the app aids enforcement. In the past, someone had to walk around checking to see if cars had meter time remaining or it had expired. This year, the app leads the police officer directly to the offending vehicle.
The wonders of the electronic world make increasing time on the “meter” possible from anywhere, as well as identifying those who did not do so easier than ever before.
