Illegal parking in handicapped spaces is an ongoing problem the university safety officials face each week.

There have been 41 parking tickets written for the misuse of handicapped spots this year, said UNA Police Chief Bob Pastula.

Cindy Kirby, community service aid for the UNA Police Department, has been focusing on illegal use of handicapped spots since starting her job Feb. 17.

“I don’t think there’s any reason you should be parking in a handicapped spot unless you’re handicapped,” Kirby said.

Tickets for illegally parking in handicapped spaces are $50, but if people do not start paying attention to the parking rules, the fee could be increased, Pastula said.

The illegal parking has affected students who can legally park in the handicapped spaces.

Michael Bramlett, a senior, has missed class before because he could not find a parking spot.

Bramlett thinks this semester seems better in terms of the misuse of handicapped parking spots, but the ticket fee should go up, he said.

“(Illegally parking in handicapped spaces) just sends a message to the person that what you’re doing is not right,” Bramlett said. “It sets a precedent with other people too.”

Abby Moon, a junior studying special education, sees parking as an awful issue for all students, but more limited for those with disabilities, she said.

“I think for a first offense $50 is reasonable, but if someone does it after the first time I think it should go up because it’s not right to deprive someone of a need he or she has,” Moon said.

Moon thinks students are so concerned with getting to class on time that they are not aware of how their actions affect others, she said.

The parking spaces by the dorms are also problem areas, said UNA Police Officer Greg Kirby.

“People park there to run in and get something and it always takes longer than they expect,” he said.

A way to help solve the problem is by performing random checks at the different parking lots on and around campus, Pastula said.

Even when people have a handicapped decal they will still get a ticket if it is not registered to them, Kirby said.

“We have a way to verify who (the decal) belongs to, and who it is entitled to,” Kirby said. “If anyone abuses that, they will get a ticket.”

Students and faculty who use someone else’s handicapped decal can have the decal taken away, and their car towed. Students may be referred to the student conduct board and faculty members can be referred to the dean of the department they teach in, he said.

Kirby said he tries to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to parking errors, but the illegal use of a handicapped spot is something he is strict on.

If parking is an issue for students, they can choose to utilize the campus shuttle bus system, Pastula said.

He thinks the new GPS systems have helped encourage students to ride the buses, he said.

Editor’s note: To read earlier stories on this topic, click here.