Winchester Police Cracking Down on Illegal Handicap Stickers

It’s a problem that the and other police forces rarely have the time to look into.

But over the last few months, Winchester officers have been cracking down on drivers who are using illegal handicap parking placards. According to Sgt. Thomas Groux of the Winchester PD, there have been over 25 drivers cited for this violation.

“This is rampant,” Groux said. “It’s hard to take the time to look for these illegal placards, but with the holiday season, these abuses are going to get worse.”

But it’s the way drivers alter the placards that make it difficult for officers to tell they are illegal.

According to Groux, the most common occurrence is for someone to tape over the expiration date with dark-colored tape. Others, he said, change the date by typing up a new one and taping it over the expired date. Others have stolen placards and are using them to park in handicapped spaces. Another driver super-glued dice to his sticker in order to hide the expiration date.

“They figure if they can’t find a parking space, then they’re justified in using it,” Groux said.

But family members may be the worst.

Groux said that one woman used her dead sister’s handicap placard. Others, once they receive their new sticker (permanent placards automatically renew every five years, while temporary ones expire after two years), give their old handicap placards to relatives to use.

“The system is flawed,” Groux said. “People are supposed to give the cards back once they expire, but most don’t. And it’s a time-consuming effort to do this. The resources are not always there, and this would go by the wayside if the department is busy.”

According to Groux, a first-time offender will receive a $500 fine and a 30-day suspension of their license. However, Groux said that since these placards are government documents any alteration can be considered forgery, and repeat offenders could face a maximum of a five-year felony charge.

Groux said that it’s difficult for a police department to spend the time to look at the handicap stickers. And even if the officer believes the handicap placard to be illegal, they need to wait until the driver returns to the car before citing them.

“It depends how much you concentrate and look at them,” Groux said. “Most officers don’t have the time to get out of their car, wait for the operator to come back and then confront them.

"If we had the time to really crackdown, I bet we could cite at least one person a day. And that’s in Winchester, imagine what it must be like in Boston or over at the Burlington Mall.”

Groux said that the department will continue to crackdown on these violators as long as they have the time and resources to do so.