News

Getting the boot: Parking violations may result in immobilization

  • Published
  • By 78th Security Forces Squadron
If you work on Robins or have visited one of its many customer service facilities, you may have run in to some difficulty finding a place to park.

Although frustrating, violating one of the base's parking rules is not a good solution.

In response to the increasing number of violations, the 78th Security Forces Squadron is ramping up its enforcement efforts by assigning parking wardens to patrol parking lots and attaching vehicle immobilization boots on cars found violating parking policies.

"Yes, on Robins we do have limited parking; however, parking in an area you are not authorized to park in is illegal," said Capt. Jonathon Murray, 78th SFS commander. "Many drivers on base have been guilty of parking in unauthorized areas and far too many of those have been repeat offenders."

While parking spaces and special designations come under the 78th Civil Engineer Group, enforcement is primarily the responsibility of security forces.

The security forces hands out an average of 100 parking citations a week, many to repeat offenders. "These repeat offenders not only cause a problem for those abiding by the rules, they also cause an increase workload on already strained Air Force assets," Murray said.

In order to increase the enforcement of the rules designed to ensure safety and efficiency on the base, security forces personnel will be immobilizing cars with a vehicle boot. Repeat offenders of parking rules can expect to have their vehicles immobilized and will need to report to the Base Defense Operations Center in Bldg. 263, or call the center at 926-2187, to have their vehicle boot unlocked. All vehicles illegally parked in designated handicapped slots will automatically be booted.

The owner must bring the Vehicle Immobilization Notice, proof of current insurance, registration, base identification (ID card, visitor pass, etc.) and a valid driver's license. If the owner does not contact BDOC, via telephone or in person within three days, an Abandoned Vehicle Notice will be placed on the vehicle and towed as an abandoned vehicle at the owner's expense.

"This is not something we want to do, but it's a necessary step in alleviating a significant problem at Robins," Murray said. "We certainly aren't trying to harass drivers and would much prefer that everyone would comply with the parking rules to ensure there is available parking for all personnel."

In addition to the immobilization boots, security forces has enlisted the help of parking wardens in helping combat the problem of illegal parking. Parking wardens are non-security forces members trained and certified to issue DD Form 1408, Armed Forces Traffic Ticket, for parking violations in and around their assigned facilities.

Currently, there are approximately 26,158 parking spaces on the installation, including 720 that are designated for handicap personnel.

Additional parking slots are also designated for specific personnel, like the base, unit or squadron commander and first sergeants. Parking spaces designated for handicapped occupants require a state-issued tag or placard, and base issued decals are required for the different designated DV parking areas located throughout the base.