Politics & Government

Increased Enforcement Precursor to Parking Reform in Collingswood

Police Chief Richard Sarlo is working with local leaders on new initiatives for 2014 that include mobile apps for pay-by-phone and overnight parking.

While acknowledging that the uptick in policing has rattled some residents, Collingswood Police Chief Richard Sarlo said the shift is a precursor to some overdue code revisions that will improve the way the borough regulates parking.

“It’s definitely progress," he said. "I know people are frantic."

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“We’re examining the whole situation,” Sarlo told Patch. "I have some ideas for the commissioners and the mayor, and we have been going back and forth. 

The chief said he’s been working with Mayor James Maley and Collingswood borough commissioners to continue “tweaking some things to bring [parking laws] up a little bit more to the times that we live in.”

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In the latest edition of the borough-published Collingswood Town CrierMaley told residents he hoped a pilot program of new parking measures would be in place by springtime.

“If you want a permit, apply for one," Maley said in the letter. "You will not be ticketed while your application is pending (and if you are, just send it to me).”

Voicemail full

Right now, Collingswood residents with overnight guests, or those who park their cars on the street are asked to leave a voicemail with their license plate information on a police answering machine.

Sarlo acknowledged that the department is “getting a deluge of overnight requests,” and said that system is due for an upgrade.

He said Collingswood police are examining the idea of rolling out a web-based application for residents to enter their overnight parking information, which would be “a little more friendly” while cutting out legwork on both sides of the conversation.

“The calling-in part is not only troublesome to the police department, but for the residents too,” Sarlo said. “We’ve come a couple times where the box is full, which is a lot of cars being called in. It takes time for us to go through the list.

“We’re also keeping track of the number of times that people call in, and that will be something we look at too, for abuse of the system,” he said.

Pay by phone on its way

In addition to improving the overnight and street parking permitting processes, Sarlo said Collingswood police are also waiting for Global Parking Solutions USA—the company that vends the digital parking kiosks in the borough—to roll out a new pay-by-phone service.

The technology would allow people who park in Collingswood to add time to their parking meters with a mobile application instead of physically depositing additional money.

“That’s going to be even a further advancement to our paid parking,” Sarlo said. “I’m excited about it because I really think it’s necessary. You’ve got the technology for it, why not use it? 

“We’re trying to make it as friendly as possible for anybody to come into Collingswood and spend time,” he said. “I’ve got to say the people that are leading the government, my bosses, the mayor and commissioners, they’re forward-thinking people.” 

Sarlo also said that police are very familiar with residents’ concerns that speeding and careless driving have become ongoing issues in Collingswood, and he said that Special Officer Class II Jeremy Anderson will be dedicated entirely to traffic issues.


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