Safety sticks installed in Yonkers to crack down on illegal parking
They're installed in spots where parking is illegal, according to Robert Matthews. He's a representative for the company that created the device, Municipal Parking Services.
Safety sticks are starting to pop up around Yonkers to help police crackdown on illegal parking.
The issue is a major challenge, according to Det. Lt. Frank DiDomizio.
"We're seeing a lot of people who are complaining about double parking, a lot of people who are taking the bus who have to get off in the middle of the road," DiDomizio says.
Those complaints are why Yonkers is now the first city in Westchester to test out solar-powered safety sticks.
They're installed in spots where parking is illegal, according to Robert Matthews. He's a representative for the company that created the device, Municipal Parking Services.
"It takes basically a time stamp picture of their arrival or departure... We share that with the city or town, and if they agree with us that this is somebody not following the rules, the city and town can send an evidence form and a standard parking ticket violation," Matthews says.
Officials say the safety sticks are already being used in places like Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
In Yonkers, police say the program is still in a free, data-gathering phase so, you will not get tickets in the mail.
If that changes, one ride-share driver says it could make her job harder. She admits parking illegally while waiting for clients.
"I do that all the time when I'm doing Lyft in the area," the driver says.
Other residents, like Joseph Scipioni, say the safety sticks could be a smart addition to the city.
"So, the buses don't have to go out to the next lane and, God forbid, get into an accident or something," Scipioni says.
Police say they've already seen a drop in violations since installing the devices in four parts of the city.
Det. Lt. Didomizio has this message for anyone worried about privacy.
"If you're concerned and upset that these are monitoring if you're parking here, my question would be well, why are you parking there to begin with," DiDomizio says.
To learn more about the launch of these safety sticks, click here. https://www.facebook.com/YonkersPD/posts/you-may-have-seen-these-aroundthey-are-called-safetysticks-and-this-is-the-first/1237214295100734/
