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| Rochester, NY Police cruiser E-67 and City Parking Enforcement parked on same side of street, as children's family members they ticketed. Photo by Davy V. |
At least a half a dozen family members of Rochester elementary school children attending the annual Nick Zona Track Meet at East High School on Thursday May 16th, walked back to their cars to find parking tickets under their windshield wipers.
Now, it would be hypocritical of me to in any way, shape or form condone parking illegally, especially since I regularly expose law enforcement officials parked illegally.
However, it was more the show of force, on behalf of Rochester Police officers who obviously had nothing better to do in a city riddled with real crime, than to ticket cars of family members attending their children's field day, that just rubs me the wrong way.
The event, is named after the late Nick Zona, the former Health and Physical Education Director for the City School District.
The track meet helps students learn the importance of hard work, cooperation, teamwork and sportsmanship.
Approximately 25-30 cars parked on Culver Rd., right in front of the East High School grandstand, and family members were already sitting down in the stands, when an announcement came over the PA system telling people that they had to move their vehicles, and find parking elsewhere.
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| Rochester, NY Police officer and parking enforcement employee harassing elementary school children's family members. Photo by Davy V. |
This caused dozens of people to hurry and move their vehicles, and rush back in order not to miss their children's participation in the track meet.
A woman at Jeffrey Ellis Carl Cabinetmakers, located on the corner of Culver Rd. and Leighton Ave., and directly across the street from the East High School bleacher stands, called 911 to report that several vehicles were parked on the wrong side of Leighton Ave.
Interestingly enough, the photo at the top right, shows the classic example of 'Do as I say, not as I do', a Rochester, NY Police cruiser, and a City of Rochester, NY Parking Enforcement vehicle can be seen parked on the same side of the street as the cars they ticketed!
This could all have been avoided, if the Rochester City School District had planned in advance, to accommodate family members, being able to park their vehicles, without being ticketed.
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| Rochester, NY Police officer in cruiser E-51 has nothing better to do, than to harass family members attending children's track meet. Photo by Davy V. |
"This is the first time in four years that I have gotten this information, this is supposed to be a positive event", said Carlos Cotto, Rochester City School District executive director of health, physical education, and athletics.
"There should have been announcements before people parked, so they wouldn't have had to move their cars after they had already settled in", Cotto said to me, before adding, "I put a call in to Chief Sheppard, because he has always been supportive of this event."
"Supportive"?
In the video below, watch as I ask a City of Rochester Parking Enforcement employee would he ticket Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard when he parks in front of a fire hydrant at City Hall.
The man responds by saying "I've never seen anything like that", to which I replied "Oh, I have it on video...", as I proceed to tell the man about my video where a parking enforcement employee admits that the reason he refuses to ticket RPD Chief James Sheppard, who was illegally parked, in front of City Hall, completely blocking a fire hydrant, was because if he ticketed the Chief, he would lose his job. (You can also click below to watch that video.)
How sad that the Rochester, NY Police department, would show up in force like they did, to an event named in honor of a School district employee, and all for parking violations.
Click Play to watch video
Click Play to watch video of City of Rochester, NY Parking Enforcement employee saying he won't write Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard a ticket for illegally parking completely blocking a fire hydrant because if he does, he would be fired!
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