Davis Looking For A Volunteer Team Of Parking Enforcers

DAVIS (CBS13) - A parking problem is switching into high gear. The Davis Police Department is calling in reinforcements to combat the city's parking issues.

Sherrie Cole is the city's sole parking enforcer on duty Monday. She has seen and heard it all.

"I've had them come running up. They've started crying," she said. "I've heard every excuse there is. Ppretty foul. Hate words even. It gets pretty ugly."

The city issued 18,000 in 2010 and police believe there may be many more to bust.

"We see a lot of abandoned cars. Because of some of the budget cuts, we're not able to get some of those," Cole said.

The city is hoping to get those cars rolling by making volunteers a driving force, a creative means of taking care of cop work.

So who would be willing to do that for no compensation?

"I think we'll get plenty of volunteers for it, as we have in the past," Davis Police Lt. Paul Doroshov said.

Davis already has about 50 volunteers in other departments. Now they can add parking to their public service.

One car's been at Doris Hass' house for a week, collecting seven days of citations.

"I hope somebody takes it before it gets any more tickets on it," she said.

Parking problems account for a lot of calls to the police department.

"We get complaints about driveways, they can't get out of them, and again handicap's a huge one," Doroshov said.

So the extra help is needed. And at least Sherrie won't be getting the brunt of the backlash by herself.

"Please be nice to us," she pleaded. "We're just doing our job."

"They're grumpy," countered Mark Pemberton, who frequently parks in Davis.

Maybe because they get yelled at all day?

"Probably," he conceded.