Public Safety seeks to register all student vehicles
By Ame Phitwong
Some off-campus students who live near UP leave their cars at home rather than parking on campus to avoid having to buy a parking pass from the University or get ticketed for parking within the zone Public Safety monitors.
They returned home recently to find notices on their windshields from Public Safety to register their vehicles.
Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers explained the notifications were a way to prompt people affiliated with the university to register their vehicles as a precaution. If something happens to their vehicles, Public Safety can contact them immediately.
"It's our way to try and assist the students if there's a problem," he said.
For example, Public Safety can notify owners if their cars are broken into, if they need to be moved, or any other issues concerning their vehicles. Students, staff and faculty who own parking passes are automatically registered in Public Safety's database.
Burke-Sivers explained that there are several benefits to registering vehicles with Public Safety. Last week, he said, a car parked in row housing was hit by another car. Public Safety officers ran outside because they heard the crash and tried to write down the offender's license plate. They assumed the parked car belonged to a student, but had no definitive way of knowing. Portland Police was called to the scene, but because the vehicle was from out of state, they encountered difficulties in contacting the owner.
Senior Eric Pak lives in row housing and does not have a parking pass. He has a Colorado-registered vehicle and has not registered his SUV with Public Safety.
"It's pointless," Pak said. "If my car got broken into, I would eventually find out when I go to drive it. Just because Public Safety calls to tell me sooner doesn't really change what happened." Pak doesn't plan on registering his vehicle.
Burke-Sivers explained that in the past, students have been inconvenienced because Public Safety had to tow their vehicles or ticket them.
"We're not trying to require students to buy parking passes," he said. "Given past experiences, we just want to find better ways to serve students," he said.
