Jersey Police hold hands up after getting a parking ticket

Wednesday 19 August 2015

The actions of a keen Jersey traffic warden have gone viral after he fined a police car parked outside the hospital.

The marked car was parked outside A&E in a disabled parking bay when it was ticketed Tuesday morning by the States worker. Jersey Police told Bailiwick Express that the officer responsible has now been down and paid the fine.

The post on Facebook site, 'Jersey Parking Fines' had over five hundred likes and was shared dozens of times. 

Jersey Police Inspector, Sarah Henderson said, "The officer was obviously working but perhaps shouldn't have parked where she did, but if it's an emergency we obviously park where we have to park - we can't be expected to drive around looking for a space. In that respect we're exempt from the law for parking." 

The police then issued this on their Facebook page: "Yesterday we made a mistake. Some of you will have seen the photograph circulating social media of one of our marked police cars parked on a disabled bay outside the General Hospital - we are both embarrassed and sorry.

The Officer who parked the car there was on enquiries at the Hospital and didn't realise that it was a disabled bay. Needless to say the Officer has personally paid the parking fine and has received suitable advice at an appropriate management level. "

One Facebook user said: "It's us that pay for it either way, we pay the tax's that pay for the parking officer and policeman's wages, no doubt the police department in general pay the fine so it's just shifting our taxes from one area to another, lol."

But Former States deputy Sean Power doesn't see the funny side. He commented: "If these officers were dealing with the victim of rape, grave and criminal assault, somebody seriously hurt in an accident, or with a sudden death at the hospital, then putting a parking ticket on a marked Police car is an utter waste of everyone's time. States of Jersey Police do not pull up and block parking for any cavalier reason. They are on duty. There are strict rules and regulations governing the use of police vehicles."

Bailiwick Express are awaiting a comment from the Traffic Warden's boss!

Photographs posted on Facebook by: Sérgio Carvalho