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Westport police emphasize enforcement and education for handicap parking
Summary
Chief Dunn said officers patrol supermarkets and other locations to ensure handicap placards are used properly and described the department's education-first approach. The department frames the work as both enforcement and assistance to residents with disabilities.
During Westport Night Out, Chief Dunn described a combined education-and-enforcement approach to handicap parking violations and assistance for people with disabilities.
"We go around, practically go to the supermarkets in town and the other, areas that have handicap parking, and we make sure that people adhering to the law, adhering to the placards that they're issued to them," Dunn said, describing routine checks and offer of help when needed. The host, a representative of the Westport Commission on Disability, raised the topic and asked the chief to highlight how officers support residents with disabilities.
Dunn framed the work as part of broader community engagement. He said the department also maintains domestic violence and opioid liaisons and a community engagement team that can connect residents to services. No citations to specific statutes, ordinances or ticketing thresholds were made on the record; the chief described practice rather than a change in enforcement policy.
