Photo of the Day: These Boots Are Made for Stoppin’
Metro Wire Staff
A vehicle with several warning notices attached sits booted on Dec. 11 along the 1000 block of Prentice Street.
Booted vehicles are a rare sight inside the city, according to Sgt. Anthony Zblewski from the Stevens Point Police Department. The city has only one wheel clamp, more commonly known as a “boot” – a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved.
It’s not difficult to avoid being booted, Zblewski said, if one pays their parking tickets. For a vehicle to be “boot eligible”, he said a car must have three unpaid parking tickets, with the oldest ticket being at least 60 days old. Once booted, a vehicle could be transported to a local tow yard, where additional fees for storage are charged on a daily basis.
A typical parking ticket in the city is $15, he added, but the fine accrues the longer it goes unpaid.
“As soon as you’re paid up, the boot is usually removed within an hour,” he said, provided the fees are paid during regular business hours so they can be entered into the department’s computer system. “More often that not, the plates are suspended, and it’s gone a long time being suspended before it’s booted.”