Milwaukee DPW voids parking tickets, ‘error’ caught on camera

MILWAUKEE – There’s a lot to consider when a presidential candidate visits a city. Along with the increased security and road closures come parking restrictions.

Neighbors in one Milwaukee The neighborhood said they needed more time to move their car before they were ticketed and towed.

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Vice President Kamala Harris made a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on October 17. Early in the morning, neighbors on nearby Kenwood Boulevard said their cars were ticketed and towed without notice.

One landlord whose tenant received a ticket called it “completely wrong.”

Aaron Wilson owns a property on Kenwood Boulevard. He shared video footage from his home surveillance cameras with Contact person 6 which captured the following in less than 25 minutes:

• 6:59 a.m. – Milwaukee Parking Services posted a temporary tow-away zone sign on the block
• 7:09 a.m. – Parking enforcement arrived and began issuing tickets
• 7:21 am – A tow truck drove onto the block
• 7:23 a.m. – Truck drove away with a vehicle in tow.

“There’s just not enough time,” Wilson said.

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Contact person 6 spoke to the owner of the car that was towed in the Wilsons’ surveillance video. She is one UW-Milwaukee student and was fined $150. Her car was not taken to a tow yard, but moved to a street spot near Capitol and Holton, where she tracked it down.

“It looks like it was a struggle,” Wilson said. “Someone made the decision to just ticket the residents, get them out of the way and find out about it later.”

Contact person 6 spoke to other neighbors who received parking tickets that morning. One man said he tried to fight his ticket but it was reduced to $60. Everyone said there was no warning from the city about the upcoming parking restrictions.

“I feel like this needs to be done 24 hours in advance,” Wilson said.

Contact person 6 emailed the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works about the citation. A spokesperson immediately responded that the department would investigate the matter. The city quickly determined that car owners had not been properly notified before the tickets were issued.

“These vehicles should have been warned and moved if necessary, but should not have been fined,” DPW Communications Officer Tiffany Shepherd said in a statement. “Fines should only have been issued to vehicles that parked after the signage was installed.”

Shepherd said all seven cars parked on the 1800 block of East Kenwood Boulevard had their fines voided or refunded. The city also voided tickets for another 30 vehicles parked on the 3200 block of North Downer Avenue.

Shepherd also said the tickets of all cars parked on those two blocks were invalid, including any drivers who may have parked after the signage was installed.

None of the car owners had to pay towing fees because their cars were moved to another street and not taken to a tow yard. Their fine for the parking violation was $150.

Full statement from Tiffany Shepherd, Marketing & Communications Officer for DPW:

We have voided or refunded seven vehicles parked in the 1800 block of E Kenwood and 30 vehicles parked in the 3200 block of N Downer. Those vehicles were parked before signs were posted regarding the Oct. 17 parking restrictions. These vehicles should have been warned and moved if necessary, but should not have been fined. Penalties should have only applied to vehicles that parked after the signage was installed. As a result of this error, all vehicles parked on these two blocks received invalid or refunded citations, so these numbers technically include anyone who may have also parked after the signage was installed.