Parking Officers Misconceptions

There are a lot of common misconceptions regarding the Parking Enforcement outside contractor, the Commissionaires of Ottawa - Windsor Division. This page is going to hopefully clear some of those misconceptions up for you.

False Comments and/or Statements About Officers

They do not:

• Have a monthly quota to meet
• Receive bonuses for ticket amounts
• Wait in bushes, behind trees or other locations watching and waiting to issue tickets
• Follow residents around (i.e. pick on individuals)/targeting
• Repair meters
• Remember your vehicle and if you have a permit or not
• Wait for meters to expire

They are not:

• To take handouts/tips/gifts in lieu of issuing an administrative penalty notice (parking tickets)
• To look through driver and passenger windows in detail to try and find a permit/time ticket (i.e. on floor of vehicle). (Driver must assure that these are visible.)
• Able to look up a permit number to see if an accessible parking permit is current or not
• Allowed to cancel tickets after they have been issued, unless it is an officer’s error

True Comments and/or Statements About Officers

They do:

• Have a job (They are to enforce the City of Windsor Parking By-law 9023.)
• Only have a maximum of five officers working at a time to cover entire city, per shift
• Rotate beats/sections throughout city
• Take photos of you in violation if they issue a ticket
• Frequently visit “timed” locations when they mark a vehicle

They are:

• To get out of their vehicles to look for permits/time tickets clearly displayed on dash/mirror
• Able to park in a violation when performing City of Windsor business as per the City by-law
• To look through driver and passenger windows to try and see a permit/time ticket (i.e. on flipped up visor or car seats)

The City of Windsor does not send text messages or email reminders about parking violations/tickets or issue reminders through a third party. If received, do not reply or click on the links; delete the message.