SFMTA workers fearful parking crackdown could put target on their backs

SAN FRANCISCO - If you live in San Francisco or visit frequently and think parking is bad now, it could get a lot worse.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is going to crack down hard on cars parked illegally in San Francisco in an effort to make the city safer for drivers and pedestrians, but those responsible for enforcement are fearful. 

They say issuing more tickets will put a target on their backs and feel like it could put them in danger on the job and possibly increase  their chances of being assaulted by disgruntled drivers.

As a result, SFMTA front line workers say they're going to host a rally Thursday to bring attention to their increasing safety concerns.

"Not only are we already risking our safety every day out there doing work we are not trained or fully equipped to deal with, but we’re also expected to do work that would traditionally be associated with the police or public works," parking control officer Trevor Adams said in a statement. 

Parking control officers also said they have received death threats and had guns and other weapons pulled on them while confronting drug dealers or users who are double-parked.

SFMTA workers added that the announcement of the new intensified ticketing plan came as a surprise to them and said they heard about the new plan on the news at the same time as everyone else.

The director of the SFMTA said part of the reason the agency is able to crack down is that parking enforcement is fully staffed for the first time since the pandemic.