Warning Citations Often Utilized on First Offense for Parking Illegally

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Many warnings are given in UA parking lots each year.

The University of Arkansas Transit and Parking Department issues many warning citations over the course of any given school year.

For the 2017-18 school year, 7,258 warning citations were given to students. During that same year, 1,036 were given to university employees.

The total number of citations for all infractions for the 2017-18 school year — including students, employees, vendors, visitors, etc. — was 41,266.

As of October of the current school year, 1,598 warnings have been issued to students, and 197 have been issued to employees.

David Wilson, director of transit and parking communications, said that people on campus often ask why more warnings aren't issued.

"The truth is," he said, "quite a few warnings are issued every year. People also ask why a warning isn't issued for a first offense, but many times they are."

As assistant business manager at Transit and Parking, Andy Gilbride oversees parking enforcement.

"For the first citation," he said, "we try — if it's possible — to give them a warning."

Certain serious infractions, such as parking in a handicapped space or blocking a drive, cannot be handled by a mere warning. But in other cases, warnings are often issued.

Gilbride said that it is understood that at the beginning of a school year, especially with incoming freshmen, that it takes a little while to learn where everything is, and that occasional mistakes in parking do happen.

"We try to educate everyone," he said, "before we have to fine them for parking illegally."

Wilson said the goal is not to issue citations but to make sure everyone is parking where they should.

"We don't want to be hitting people with a citation when a warning will send the message just as effectively," he said. "When you get right down to it though, a person who parks illegally is actually taking a space that someone else has paid for. We issue citations, not really as a punitive measure, but to help ensure that all permit holders will have access to parking that is rightfully theirs."