Committee agrees to reserve victim parking, keep two police spaces near Westchester University public safety

Westchester University public-safety officials asked the West Chester Parking Committee to reinstate curbside spaces near their police station for visitors and crime victims. After extended discussion about enforcement and revenue, the committee agreed to redesignate three spaces (two for police vehicles, one short-term space for victims) and to update signage and the borough resolution to reflect a two-hour time limit for the public-safety visitor space.

Chief Ray Stevenson of Westchester University asked the committee for a convenient place for people coming to the public-safety office. “I wanted to make a formal request … we would possibly have 2 of them because it we need when people are either reporting or more important, crime victims when they come in to form a report, we need some place for them to park,” Stevenson said. He proposed a one- or two-hour time restriction.

Why it matters: The change affects access for victims and people seeking police services and involves a tradeoff with on-street parking revenue. Committee members asked staff to ensure any change can be enforced and documented in the parking-resolution update.

Key points and committee action

- History and request: The spaces had been signed for official public-safety use roughly 12 years ago before they were removed when Chapter 10,445 was redrafted. Stevenson said the university previously used three curbside spaces adjacent to its building and asked the committee to reintroduce at least one or two spaces for victims and visitors.

- Enforcement and revenue concerns: Several committee members objected to returning multiple curbside spaces because of lost meter revenue and said officers could instead use the nearby Bicentennial Garage. One member recommended using the garage and “your police cars should be it's steps away from your door.”

- Practical solution and consensus: Committee discussion produced an operational compromise. Members agreed to designate two spaces for police vehicles and one short-term space for victims/visitors with a time limit (committee discussed one or two hours). The committee also agreed to replace signage and update the borough resolution to add the time limit and clarify the official public-safety use.

- Implementation details: Staff and Westchester University public-safety representatives discussed enforcement approaches including a dashboard pass, chalking as typical enforcement practice, and a validation code when Flowboard or similar validation tools are available. The committee also agreed to provide access cards for police vehicles to use specified levels of the Bicentennial Garage (to be documented in a written agreement) and asked borough IT to confirm camera coverage of the recommended rooftop/first-level parking area.

- Follow-up assignments: Staff will draft the resolution language and change signage on the street; the parking department will prepare a written agreement for garage access cards and present the updated resolution and signage at a future work session or voting meeting.

Ending

Officials said the changes aim to balance victim access, police operational needs and parking revenue; the committee directed staff to return with the formal resolution update, signage language and a written garage-access agreement.