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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.