New Bedford Police to ‘Step Up’ Parking Violation Enforcement

Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

The New Bedford Police Department "will be stepping up" its enforcement of parking violations in residential areas.

The NBPD said the violations that officers will be watching out for include the parking of oversized vehicles at night, blocking of driveways, blocking fire hydrants, and blocking of handicap-accessible sidewalk openings.

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According to a post on the New Bedford Police Department Facebook page, "Much of this enforcement will be done during late-night, early morning hours on the midnight shift."

The department is asking for the public's cooperation.

"We remind all citizens to please be courteous to their neighbors and park in a manner that complies with local rules," it wrote.

New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira said the department has received complaints.

"Due to complaints that we regularly receive regarding parking issues, we will be stepping up enforcement," he said.

Oliveira believes the crackdown will be welcome in neighborhoods where parking offenses occur more frequently.

"Since announcing the initiative, we have received numerous complaints about illegal parking in a number of areas throughout the city," he said. "We will be sure to address those."

"Not only is this a quality of life issue, but there is also a safety component that cannot be ignored," Oliveira said. "For those that are courteous and respectful of the parking ordinances here in the city, they have no need to worry about being ticketed."

Responses to the Facebook announcement included "It's about time" and "Thank goodness!" but not everyone welcomes the enforcement. One response suggested it's nothing more than "a money grab by the Mayor."

The old adage, "You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time," applies in spades in cases such as this.