Council members used Thursday’s meeting to press the parking utility and enforcement director about training, de‑escalation and employee safety after ongoing public complaints about enforcement conduct and social‑media complaints about specific officers.

Director Paul Harris said parking enforcement officers receive quarterly updates on state and local regulations and recurring customer‑service training; staff meet monthly and the department documents interactions. He said the job is “constant battering” from confrontations in the field and that the department encourages officers to issue the ticket and move on rather than engage in prolonged exchanges.

Harris said the department has sought body cameras for some time and expects to obtain them in the coming year if funding and procurement allow; he described body cameras as valuable both for court evidence and for supervisory review of conduct. He also said the department has no formal on‑site self‑defense training and would consult with administration about adding non‑physical de‑escalation training.

Council members repeatedly urged the city to prioritize body cameras and to ensure that disciplinary processes under the collective bargaining agreement are applied when warranted. The transcript captures a request for clearer public communication about parking enforcement rules and for consistent patrol patterns so residents can adapt to re‑established enforcement.

Why it matters: Parking enforcement affects daily life, fairness perceptions and public trust in city services. Councilmembers said more transparent rules, clear training standards and video evidence would reduce disputes and improve accountability.

Next steps: Director Harris said he will continue quarterly and monthly training and will pursue body camera procurement; council asked administration to consider de‑escalation training, to provide the council with training length and curriculum details, and to coordinate with the courts for evidence handling and officer expectations.