With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Audit says Los Angeles fails to collect on parking ticket scofflaws
Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel with Department of Transportation Interim General Manager Amir Sedadi. The two gave conflicting accounts of how the city may be missing out on collecting parking ticket fines.
(
Frank Stoltze/KPCC
)
LAPD Traffic Stop on Woodman Ave. in Arleta CA.
(
Chris Yarzab/Flckr
)
Listen
0:54
Audit says Los Angeles fails to collect on parking ticket scofflaws
Audit says Los Angeles fails to collect on parking ticket scofflaws
Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel Tuesday said cash-strapped L.A. is failing to collect millions of dollars in unpaid parking tickets.
The controller said the city's Department of Transportation is particularly ineffective at collecting money from habitual parking violators.
Greuel said her audit found that in one year, parking enforcement officers failed to impound nearly three-quarters of cars with five or more parking tickets.
“The city cannot afford such lax enforcement," Greuel said. She said the city could have collected $9.2 million annually had it towed those cars.
Sponsored message
L.A. Department of Transportation interim manager Amir Sedadi defended his agency.
He said his officers may have decided against impounding a car because the driver proved they’d paid the tickets. He also said drivers may have escaped before a tow truck arrived. Parking enforcement officers are not armed.
Sedadi said his department met its revenue goals.
“We were able to meet the city’s fiscal year 2009 and ‘10 parking citation revenue projections," he said. "There was no actual loss of millions of dollars to the city.”
Greuel said the department could have done better.
The controller said the city also lost out on more than $5 million when it disbanded a special unit that looks for parking ticket scofflaws.
L.A. transportation officials reinstated it – after her audit began.
Sponsored message
Officials said a tow truck will now follow the special enforcement unit, which uses license plate recognition technology to identify cars with five or more unpaid parking tickets.
"We will catch you," Sedadi said.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
