It is my opinion that the Moorhead Police Department should spend more time doing real police work and less time enforcing frivolous city ordinances. I am referring to the city ordinance that regulates which streets you can and cannot park on during certain hours of certain days. I can see how an ordinance such as this one would be helpful during the winter months for snow removal but does it really serve any purpose during the summer months?
I live in a densely populated area of the city and there is a great demand for on-street parking. We do not have three-stall garages and enormous driveways in which to park our vehicles. Instead, we must park on the city's streets. This poses a problem because on Monday nights we cannot park on the city's streets and Tuesday nights we cannot park on the city's avenues because the city of Moorhead has deemed it unacceptable. On these two nights, we are often forced to park over a block away from our houses or else we must pay the $15 citation that will be waiting for us on our cars in the morning.
As a student at Minnesota State University Moorhead, I have had the opportunity to observe how frequently the Moorhead Police Department monitors the streets around the university. Parking around the school is sparse so students must often park on the streets surrounding the college. According to the city this is only acceptable on certain streets during certain times during certain days.
Everyday, all day long, there are police officers patrolling these streets writing out citations for those who cannot follow the city's "simple" parking regulations. With classes beginning every hour of the day and students constantly arriving and departing throughout the day, there is never a dull moment for the officer on duty.
I realize the state of Minnesota is in financial ruin and as a result, the city of Moorhead is also in financial trouble, but are parking tickets really the answer to Moorhead's budget troubles? Why should it matter if I park my car in front of my house between the hours of 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.? Is it really necessary to employ police officers for the sole purpose of handing out parking citations?
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I have heard the city now has citizen volunteers who drive around issuing parking tickets during their free time! Is this really necessary? I do not know the answers to these questions but I do know that waking up and finding a parking ticket on your windshield is not a fine way to begin your day.
Cory Markert
Moorhead
