The Student Government Association (SGA) has received a number of complaints from students, as brought up in previous SGA meetings, in regard to an increase of parking tickets received while parked on campus from Longwood University Police Department (LUPD)
While it seems that the ticketing has increased, this is not true, according to Col. Robert Beach, chief of police.
“We had a total of 299 tickets written,” said Beach, “That’s not many considering we have over 6,000 people here.”
There have been 299 tickets written from the beginning of the semester in August up until mid Oct.
A particular area of concern as voiced by students was the library-appropriated spaces located on Race St. in which 65 of the 299 tickets were given out at this location.
“We’ve (LUPD) been very lenient on parking up until the debate was over with, except for those that were either parking in places that were clearly prohibited for them to park,” Said Beach.
“The real confusion regarding the debate parking was a combination of information given in emails from the Student Affairs office that did not specifically indicate when students were to return to normal decal zones, and the late removal of debate parking signs from lot entrances,” said Laura Rice, manager of parking services.
Students parking without the appropriate decal at the Longwood Landings have also come to the attention of LUPD, according to Beach. Beach added how the LUPD is aware that students are parking in the Landings parking spaces while attending classes on campus.
“There are so many people (students) that are parking there, those people who do have cars here and pay $250 to be able to park there are those (students) that don’t,” Beach said. “I understand it’s an economic issue, but right now, we’re struggling with the number of people that are going over to the landings and parking in the commercial parking and then walking across to campus.”
Parking decals are purchased before the semester starts for both fall and spring and can be for the year or by semester. The semester rate for resident and commuter students is $125 while the rate for both the fall and spring semesters is $250, according to the Parking Services website.
“Students are reminded that at Longwood there is no liberal parking on weekends or at night; students must remain in their decal zones at all times or (students) risk getting a parking citation,” stated Rice.
Additionally, students with Lancer Park permits are allowed to park in Commuter spaces between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and midnight in order to use campus resources or attend club functions, according to the parking services website for Longwood.
