DPS ticket revenue decreasing

Last year the Department of Public Safety on Southeast Missouri State University's campus issued 43,713 tickets, between eight and nine inches long, which would expand, creating a pale yellow path for 5.8 miles.

The number of tickets being issued increased from 2008 to 2009 by 31 percent.

"Last semester I had $1,100 worth [of tickets]," David Lawrence, a Southeast senior said. "I don't want to pay for parking, I just want to get to class."

The revenue brought in by DPS ticketing has been steadily decreasing for the past three years. Director of the Budget Office Mona Hughey said during fiscal year 2008 $493, 060 was received from citations, in FY 2009 $404, 150 was received and in FY 2010 the amount dropped to $302, 174. Although the percent of citations issued increased the revenue decreased because DPS has been more willing to work with students and negotiate ticket fees.

Lawrence said last semester DPS worked with him and instead of paying $40 per ticket, they lowered the price to $20 like a first time offender would receive.

Because DPS is a self-sustaining auxiliary, the revenue, exempting metered parking ticket revenue which goes to Residence Life, is used by DPS for improvements on parking lots, shuttle buses and the drivers' salaries, emergency operations improvements and to pay student ticket writers to name a few.

Director of DPS Doug Richards said about 12 to 15 years ago Student Government decided to recommend a preferred parking system after hearing the suggestion from various members of the student body.

He also said, "Any changes in parking rules and regulations that involve dollars go to the Board of Regents for approval."

The vast majority--well over 50 percent--of tickets given out by DPS officers and the approximately 40 student ticket writers are for vehicles not registered with the university. "We can't identify [those not registered] with normal procedures," said Richards, who said that sometimes students with unregistered vehicles slide through the cracks and don't have to pay their tickets. But DPS has been concentrating their effort on enforcing the parking laws and finding the owners of unregistered vehicles. Now "if they [students with unregistered vehicles] get a certain amount of tickets we can tow the vehicle," Richards said. "We've basically stopped that [tickets to unregistered vehicles going unpaid] from happening. We can take a license plate and have it identified in 10 seconds," said Richards.

The parking "is a terrible situation for students…" Lawrence said. "If I see them [ticket writers] there I throw the ticket towards them."

Richards and Lt. Kenneth Gullett, who oversees parking and special events, said they have heard similar stories about frustrated students hassling the ticket writers.

"The ticket writers are obligated to finish writing the ticket once they start," Gullet said, "and cannot void a ticket on site. Since I've been the supervisor I've not had one [ticket writer] assaulted," Gullett said. "They have been insulted though. I tell the ticket writers, 'please don't take it personal; we're doing a job that is unfortunately not liked. They [students who receive cituations] take it out on you because you represent the agency."

He said if ticket writers weren't there, parking issues would be a lot worse. "We make every effort to advertise who can park where and when," Gullet said. "As time and money permits we're trying to make the signs more uniform."