Holiday crackdown on disabled parking scofflaws
SUN-TIMES MEDIA November 19, 2012 6:48PM
Updated: December 21, 2012 6:14AM
CHICAGO — Scofflaws who illegally park in handicapped spaces will be the focus of stepped-up enforcement this holiday season.
Starting Friday, Illinois Secretary of State Police will launch a statewide parking enforcement campaign,.
“It’s a problem and, especially during the holiday season,” Elizabeth Kaufman, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Jesse White, said Monday.
In some cases, disabled drivers have had to turn around and go home because of a lack of parking accommodation, she said.
Police will zero-in on shopping mall parking lots in particular, Kaufman said.
The fine for parking illegally in a handicapped spot can be as much as $350. The fine for illegally using a disabled placard or license plate can reach $500 and result in a month-long driver’s license suspension.
The stepped-up enforcement effort will last until the beginning of the new year.
