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Handicap Parking Abuse and Increased Enforcement

Recently, the NIH Police have noticed an increase in the number of individuals using handicap parking permits to park in handicap spaces on the main campus. With this increase, the available handicap spaces for individuals with impaired mobility have become very limited.

Handicap parking permits are issued by the state to an individual not a vehicle. Individuals parking in spaces reserved for people with a disability are subject to requests from the NIH police to provide a state-issued disability parking certification in addition to having a valid disability parking hanger.

Misuse of handicap parking tags, permits and placards is an offense in the State of Maryland. Inappropriate use will result in a $140 fine. The NIH Police have been instructed to focus more attention on enforcement and to take appropriate action when witnessing such offenses.

Not only is the law being broken when individuals illegally park in a handicap space without a state-issued permit in their name (or in the name of the passenger), but they are also hindering employees and visitors with mobility impairments from utilizing the accessibility measures in place to assist them.

Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

If you have any questions about this e-mail or want to report violators, please contact the NIH Police Traffic Sergeant at (301)-496-2387. You can also anonymously report violators through the online anonymous crime tip service at https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=527 or through an anonymous cell phone text tip by texting the letters "NIH" followed by your tip to "274637" (CRIMES). To learn more information about the anonymous crime tip services utilized by NIH, please visit: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dp/Pages/default.aspx