To thwart thieves, Calgary spends $6M on parking meters

The city of Calgary is spending $6 million on new "tamper proof" parking meters, in part to crack down on people who steal money from the machines.

The Calgary Parking Authority is getting about 200 reports a day about failed parking meters. The problem started last fall whenpeople who park downtownbegan complaining the machines were plugged or not working.

"We've seen primarily people that are on the streets,rather than panhandling, we sometimes see these individuals who tamper with a parking control device," said Dale Fraser, a spokesman for the Calgary Parking Authority.

For people trying to park downtown,broken meterscan be a hassle.

"If I'm going to park, I need to pay. It's just more frustrating for me. I have an appointment to get to," said Calgary resident Carol Tanner.

Police laying charges

The problem is costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire extra crews to go out and fix the meters.

And police have laid more than 50 criminal charges so far in connection with meter tampering.

"Calgary city police is working actively with both plainclothes and surveillance operations," said Fraser. "If you are caught tampering, charges will be laid."

But drivers should see relief this summer when themachines will be replaced with new tamper-proof meters.

"The new service will allow Calgarians to pay with credit cards, to pay and use an online account, if they want to use their cellphones," said Fraser.