Campus police are making it clear to students: Park in an adjacent business lot and risk getting your car towed and facing a hefty fine to get it back.
A Sept. 20 email sent across campus said parking on campus is “ample,” but students are arriving too close to the start of their class times and then getting impatient when searching for a space.
Some may also not want to pay for the $33 parking permit.
Neighboring businesses, such as Target, Denny’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings have again started watching for students parking in their parking lots without their consent.
There are signs posted around the parking lots state that these actions can lead to fines and towed vehicles.
“Over the years they threatened … We try to be good neighbors with them and for a while we actually had people setting out there telling students if you park here (you’re going to be towed),” said Jim Bock, public information officer for the district police department.
Bock said the department was made aware of student vehicles being towed on Sept. 14.
A notice was posted on the police department’s Facebook page encouraging students not to take up spaces in the business lots.
“We had an employee call us up from campus and tell us that, hey we were just told that they’re towing car’s over at the Target parking lot,” said Bock. “For the second day Officer (Supheak) Kim was patrolling and he saw a line-up of tow trucks.”
Cars were being removed from the Denny’s and Buffalo Wild Wings areas.
“I have personally seen student’s being towed. They park in the parking lot before we or Target even open and they are probably marked by someone,” said Buffalo Wild Wings manager Jim Amistoso.
Amistoso also said that, “this has been happening since the store’s been open.”
Bock said cars have been towed from the mall in the past as well.
“Generally parking spaces are reserved for customers
only. Students should stop parking there,” said Gibrin Velarde a Delta student.
Bock said students have an illusion that no spaces are available on campus.
“The reality is even if we are at are peak capacity at the beginning of the school year, were still at only 75 percent capacity,” said Bock.
Spaces in the back part of the Shima and Budd lots tend to be open throughout the day.
“It’s a problem. I can see why they started towing cars if they are getting in the way of the customers parking”, said Francisco Villalpando a Delta student.
B.G. and Sons is the registered towing company for the Target area parking lots and should be called if student believes a car has been towed.
Proof of ownership, payment of seventy-five dollars for release is needed for someone trying to reacquire a car.
Students can also have the campus police run their plates to see if they have been towed.