BALTIMORE (Map, News) - If you thought about fighting that parking ticket in court, you may want to save your time.

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s Parking Authority has just added AutoCITE, a hand-held electronic ticket device with photo-imaging capabilities, to its ever-increasing arsenal of enforcement weapons.

“The new hand-held devices will enable us to print out electronic tickets and photo images,” said Adrienne Barnes, spokeswoman for the DOT. “If you park next to a fire hydrant, we can capture that image in real-time and present it as evidence in court, or to the vehicle owner at their request.”

Enforcement officers are learning now how to use the devices. The city paid $443,000 for 75 AutoCITEs and the accompanying computer technology, training and maintenance.

“The technology is already in use in Washington, D.C., and Wilmington[Del.] and officials in both cities report they are having great success with it,” DOT Safety Division Chief Ken Strong said. “Our new devices will also be linked with a national database of stolen license plates so that when agents on the street enter in a plate, they can quickly identify if the vehicle is stolen and get law enforcement on the scene to recover it.”

Wisconsin-based Duncan Solutions, which specializes in traffic-enforcement technology, developed AutoCite. The DOT began using License Plate Recognition technology in March. The license-plate technology and cameras were installed in two vans and to date have helped recover at least 67 stolen vehicles, according to Strong.

That technology “will help us to recover over 400 vehicles a year,” Strong said, “and with the hand-held devices in the hands of our agents on foot patrol who see over 15,000 vehicles a year, we expect this number to increase significantly.”

Last year, agents issued 381,868 tickets, resulting in the collection of more than $13.7 million in fines. And Strong sees the devices as having a greater impact.

“The devices will greatly improve the quality of citations issued,” Strong said. “ ... This will result in fewer mistakes, better court evidence, document management and increase the recovery of stolen autos.”

rchappelle@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

2:32 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008 re: "More solar-powered parking meters coming to Baltimore"

Examiner Reader said:
On two separate occassions the meters did not work. The first time it took my money and did not deliver a receipt. The second time it took some of my money, spit out some and did not register some, but kept it. On the first occassion the authority said they would refund my money, but it has been over a month and I have received nothing. I'm waiting for a response to the second incident but not holding my breath

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1:20 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 25, 2008 re: "Supervisor�s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"

Examiner Reader said:
"This is classic SF Progressive oppression of the poor. By not requiring below market rate units to provide parking, it makes life harder for the poor living there to have the same convenience regarding their cars as everyone else expects." WRONG--this measure will reduce the cost of apartments by $50,000-$80,000. That's a big chunk of change, especially for the poor, and above all for those who can't afford cars in the first place. Why should the government FORCE you to buy a parking space when you don't want one? All this rule is give you FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

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11:15 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008 re: "Supervisor�s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"

Examiner Reader said:
Right on Tom, poor people don't drive so why not take away their parking. You progressives give me the creeps. The minimum is ONE parking space for every FOUR units of housing and you want to take that away. Tom, you and Peskin need to Get A LIFE! I bet that Mr. Peskin has at least 2 parking spaces in his million dollar condo in Nothe Beach. Leave us alone!!!

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10:01 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008 re: "Supervisor�s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"

Examiner Reader said:
This is classic SF Progressive oppression of the poor. By not requiring below market rate units to provide parking, it makes life harder for the poor living there to have the same convenience regarding their cars as everyone else expects. It makes a hard life still harder. Sad.

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12:01 PM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007 re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"

Examiner Reader said:
I have been in Baltimore for the last 5 years. I have a disability, because of which my lower limbs are paralyzed. Recently, I have found a spurt in disability tags for parking in the last couple of years. I surveyed 7 vehicles on Redwood street, and found five had disabled tag!!! I have found that some young people in early 20s park their vehicle and walk 5 blocks without any trouble, and I on a wheelchair is unable to get a parking place. Sometimes it has been frustrating. The cops cannot do anything, as long as these disability tags certified indiscriminately by family physicians. Unfortunately, carrying a "illegal" disabled tags no longer is a social stigma. It has become as acceptable as illegal license. I hope, this letter brings some sense of morality and social responsibility to those people using disabled tags. They should understand the hardship they are causing to the disabled community. Regards, Jeremy

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9:33 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007 re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"

kilteddude said:
Does this mean they will stop ticketing legally parked cars? I've got 2 tickets in the last year while parked legally.

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7:57 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007 re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"

Examiner Reader said:
DAMN IT!

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4:45 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007 re: "New ticket device puts illegal parkers on camera"

Ticket Amnesty said:
Ticket fines in Baltimore are absurd....so, don't pay them. Request and officer when you go to court for your ticket+fines and if he/she doesn't show (they rarely, if ever will) you only have to pay the fine + court costs....goodbye $800 fine on $21 ticket.

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