Parking enforcement officers attacked
More than 25 parking enforcement officers have been assaulted by members of the public this year, including a death threat from a North Toronto resident, but this type of confrontation is rare and on the decrease, says city’s the top parking cop.
As of the end of October, there were 26 assaults, which include verbal threats and physical confrontations. In one case the driver proceeded to move the vehicle before the parking enforcement officer was safely out of the way and was charged with dangerous driving.
However, the 2004 statistics have not been updated to include recent incidents, including one that involved a North Toronto resident. On Nov. 19, a man allegedly wielding a two-by-four threatened to kill a parking enforcement officer after he issued two parking tickets to vehicles parked outside a home on Wilson Ave.
Phuc Tan Hoang, 39, was charged with assault with a weapon and threatening death. The parking enforcement officer was not hurt and continued on duty.
These incidents are not concentrated in one area and can happen anywhere. And while they range in severity, they are all taken seriously, said Staff Sergeant Frank Ruffolo, of the Toronto Police Service’s parking enforcement division. “The arrest is a specific deterrent to that person and the news release is a general deterrent for the public to know that we take these incidents seriously.”
Ruffolo’s advice to members of the public upset over a parking ticket is to treat parking enforcement officers the way they themselves would want to be treated.
The good news is that confrontations are down and are continuing to decrease. In 2002 there were 84 assaults, in 2003 there were 67 and as of October of this year just 26 incidents have been reported. Part of the reason for the decrease is that the police department has started to keep statistics on these offences, lay charges, publicize the arrests and give parking enforcement officers extra training on how to resolve confrontations peacefully.
“We do conflict resolution on how to avoid a conflict and manage a conflict when it does occur,” said Ruffolo.
While there is a possibility of violence, parking enforcement officers who are part of the police service are not issued weapons to protect themselves, as technically they are still civilians.
“You don’t want to give civilians weapons. Can you imagine what would happen?” said Ruffolo.
These officers are trained by the police service. To qualify for this position they need a highschool diploma and are required to do a written test and undergo a background check and a job interview. They are then given five weeks of training including conflict resolution and an additional four weeks of mentoring before they begin working. There are 400 parking enforcement officers in Toronto, up from 350 a few years ago. There are no current plans to add officers or change the training further, said Ruffolo.
If you have a question regarding a parking ticket, call 416-808-6670.