The Cookeville Police Department says increased efforts have reduced the number of Tennessee Tech students illegally parking around the campus.
And police plan to continue that message as the spring semester begins.
Cookeville Police Sergeant Charlotte Austin said the department has constantly monitored public streets around campus to address illegal parking. Austin said the crackdown has reduced the number of students illegally parking, but there is still more work to do.
“There are still violations every day,” Austin said. “You know, it’s an area where there is a lot of traffic, and so a lot of people are in a hurry, and if there’s a parking spot, they are gonna take it, and so unfortunately, there are still violations, and so that’s why we are gonna continue our efforts to be patrolling in those areas.”
Austin said consistent enforcement will get the message across to students that it is not okay to illegally park. Austin said the department’s approach for the spring semester is to continue doing what they have been doing.
“In the spring semester, our approach is just gonna remain consistent with what we implemented in the fall,” Austin said. “We are gonna continue to patrol those areas regularly and address violations as they occur.”
Austin said the department plans to continue crackdown efforts until the issue stops. Austin said increased crackdown efforts have not significantly impacted the department’s day-to-day operations.
“We have a dedicated traffic division that focuses specifically on traffic-related issues,” Austin said. “I would say that the greater impact has been to the community in a positive way because the illegally parked vehicles can create safety hazards for motorists and pedestrians, and so I think our enforcement is helping safety in that area.”
Austin said the police department has maintained a great partnership with the university.