> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Parking enforcement officers faced with challenges on the job - URL: https://www.smdp.com/parking-enforcement-officers-faced-with-challenges-on-the-job/ - Published: 2007-06-09T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T01:01:04.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import *Officers can be very unpopular* DOWNTOWN SM The judge, jury and executor of parking citations, parking enforcement officer Margarita Verduzco scours the streets on Friday afternoon, searching for the offenders of city law. Then, she spots a perpetrator. A black sport utility vehicle sits idle on Arizona Avenue, just off the Third Street Promenade, its meter flashing red — an expiration. Wearing the trademark blue uniform, Verduzco goes about her job, checking the car to make sure it doesn’t have a clean air vehicle sticker or disabled placard, both of which would exempt it from an expired meter. “It’s a meter maid,” a man calls out as he walks past. Verduzco smirks and goes about her business. “We don’t get offended by it,” she said. Life on the job isn’t all peaches and cream for parking enforcement officers, perhaps the most detested of city employees, the distributor of the dreaded parking citations. “I don’t like them,” said Frank Martorana in the Santa Monica Place parking garage on Thursday. “I understand they’re just doing their job, but in my experience — and I’ve gotten a lot (of tickets) — they’re sneaky and try to act like they’re not doing it. They have no sympathy.” Not true, according to Verduzco, who said parking enforcement officers like herself don’t thrive on handing out tickets, adding that they aren’t maliciously out to get the violaters of the city parking laws. In fact, when Verduzco is in the midst of writing a citation and sees the owner of the vehicle running her way, claiming they’re about to add coins to the meter, she’ll usually give them the benefit of the doubt and void the ticket. There are more than 30 parking enforcement officers employed through the Santa Monica Police Department, splitting the city of Santa Monica into seven different regions. The officers strike a high profile in their blue uniforms, driving around in their small scooters. They are the face of the city’s parking laws. Aside from placing parking tickets on the windshields of vehicles, these officers are actually tasked with the responsibility of helping to direct traffic during outages, accidents and busy shopping days. They’re also the first department contacted when a resident calls in to complain about a vehicle illegally parked on their street. They help recover stolen vehicles. “Believe it or not, we’re not just out there to give tickets,” Verduzco said. The 30-year-old Los Angeles native came to the Santa Monica Police Department more than three years ago after leaving a job as a dispatcher for a private security firm. Verduzco had spent four years studying history and Chicano studies at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) following high school, leaving shy of graduation in order to start working full-time. She has since returned to school, taking a few courses at East Los Angeles College, studying sociology. During her time at CSUN, Verduzco spent a few years as a parking enforcement officer for the university. LEADING PARALLEL LIVES Contrary to what many would believe, the job of being a parking enforcement officer isn’t filled with drawbacks alone. During her time in Santa Monica, Verduzco has created many friendships with her colleagues in the SMPD, offering hellos and smiles to others in the department. There’s also the bonus to working outside, enjoying the beautiful California weather and views of the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes, there’s even gratitude from the residents she helps. But then, of course, there’s the people who don’t really favor her kind. “They’re a--holes,” said John Cortez at the Santa Monica Place lot on Thursday. “They’re a nuisance.” Verduzco recalls a time more than a year-and-a-half ago when she was driving the parking enforcement vehicle and a man flagged her down. The man began inquiring about a parking ticket he had received the night before, a parking ticket that was not issued by Verduzco. She tried explaining the reason why the ticket was issued. Clearly unhappy with the ticket, the man allegedly spit in Verduzco’s face, in what she describes as her “worst encounter.” Verduzco said she understands how upsetting it must be for people to receive a parking ticket and tries to remain sensitive when explaining to a person why they had just received a citation. In this job, you have to look at everyone’s perspective, she said. Some people seem to recognize that parking enforcement officers are just doing their jobs. Blaine Hope moved to Santa Monica from Oregon about a month ago and has yet to be cited, though he has observed the parking officers writing tickets on many occasions. “They’re just doing their job, right?” Hope said on Thursday. “It makes money for the city.” DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY Verduzco said she spends about 75 percent of her time driving around the city to be sure the cars are parked where they should be. She drives the parking enforcement scooter around the city, slowing down near the meters to check to see whether they have expired. When she spots a flashing red meter, she does a quick scan of the car, checking to be sure there are no exemption stickers before stepping out of the scooter. Aside from the meters, the parking enforcement officers check to see roads are cleared during street cleaning hours, and drive through roads that are protected by preferential parking permits, which are usually issued to the residents. She issues anywhere from 20 to 100 tickets a day, depending on the area she is covering. Verduzco is often flagged down by people with questions about parking laws, directions and sometimes even for a small chat about her job. “I’m like a walking information booth sometimes,” she joked. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 9, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/060907.pdf?ref=smdp.com)