Royal Oak Police Hand Out 2,500 Parking Tickets During Snow Emergencies

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - Did you move your car off the street during the recent snow emergency? Many Royal Oak residents who didn't move their cars - wound up getting parking tickets.

Police Chief Cory O'Donahue says while no one likes getting a ticket, others in the neighborhood were happy that officers were enforcing the snow emergency.

"The people who leave their cars in the street, it ends up either, their streets either don't get plowed or get plowed in a way that makes the streets somewhat impassable," said O'Donahue. "So everyone who does follow the ordinance and makes that effort - some of them really appreciate that we are actually enforcing it and hopefully change some behaviors."

Chief O'Donahue says they issued about 2,500 parking tickets.
The city of Royal Oak has been under a snow emergency on three occasions during the last couple weeks.

He says people without driveways can apply for an exemption to the ban on street parking during snow emergencies.

O'Donahue says anyone who gets a violation can make a court date to have their story heard. "It they've some unique circumstances and explain to the judge or magistrate."