Counterfeits, photocopies: Toronto police crack down on accessible parking permit fraud
Under a scorching sun in a Scarborough parking lot, parking enforcement officer Mike Murphy is moving car-to-car in the row closest to the mall entrance, working to ensure the accessible spots are occupied by the people who need them most.
“This one is expired, from September 2022,” he says, pointing to a permit on the dash of a Buick.
On another car: “Nope, no permit.”
A bright blue wheelchair logo is painted on the pavement and the “by permit only” sign is clear. Murphy pulls out his ticket printer, logs the licence plate, and tucks a $450 fine under the wiper.
It’s part of his hunt for drivers trying to scam the system—some who are misusing the accessible permits of a friend or family member, others who have illegal photocopies or even fakes.
“People will make scam copies of them and sell them for $300-500 a piece,” Murphy said. “Because people who park in the city, to them it’s worth it.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
In Toronto the permits are worth their weight in gold to the people who medically require them. A valid permit exempts the holder, or the person driving them, from many signed prohibited parking areas, on-street permit parking areas, and signed and unsigned parking limits.
“A lot of people figure, I can photocopy it, throw it on my dash, and I’ll be fine,” Murphy said. But if caught, the fines can range up to $5,000.
Toronto officers seized 509 accessible parking permits for investigation of misuse last year, issuing 59 cautions and laying 438 Highway Traffic Act charges.
Recently, Murphy said, he’s noticed a spike in construction workers using borrowed permits to park illegally downtown near their work sites.
Food delivery drivers, he added, are often caught parking in accessible spots while running into a mall or restaurant to pick up orders, thinking they will be in and out quickly.
Toronto police crack down on drivers in accessible parking spots in this file photo. (Natalie Johnson/CTV News Toronto)
As Murphy was examining the validity of permits on parked cars at the Agincourt mall Wednesday, a young woman pulled up in a Ford Fusion, parked her car in the accessible spot closest to the Burger King, and went inside.
With no document on the dash, Murphy began logging a ticket; she returned to the car and attempted to drive away, confirming she didn’t have a permit.
“Ok, it will be mailed to you and it will cost you more,” Murphy said to her through the open window. She stopped and took the fine.
“A $450 ticket,” he said. “Just for wanting to go into Burger King.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.