Police Ticket Shoppers Caught Illegally Parking in Spots for the Disabled

"If you don't belong here don't park here," Bogdan said.

That message was heard loud and clear Friday as police made sure holiday shoppers weren't taking advantage of parking spots designated for the disabled.

One parking violator was seen leaving his wife's car with her disabled placard in the window, but she wasn't with him, as required by law.

When police ticketed the vehicle, they discovered the placard in the window actually expired three years ago.

"I got bad knees too," the driver said. "[My wife] was supposed to be with me, but she's in pain so I had to do the shopping for her. So its not that I'm trying to take advantage of the spot."

As for why the man was using an expired placard, he said the updated sign was recently lost.

Police were on the lookout for parking violators as part of a weekend long crackdown on people abusing disabled parking laws this holiday shopping season. The enforcement blitz had local and Secretary of State police patrolling several malls and parking areas near the Water Tower.

"As a person with a disability and father of three small children it's very frustrating when I need to use these accessible parking spaces and they've been taken by someone who doesn't belong parking in those spots," said Disability Liaison to Governor Pat Quinn Bill Bogdan.

Violating the Illinois law could lead to fines of up to $500 and suspended driving privileges for up to 6 months.

"I'm sorry," said one ticketed driver.
 

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