Edmonton Police fines officer in parking spot for the disabled

An Edmonton officer whose vehicle took up two parking stalls, one clearly marked for people with disabilities, has been fined by the police department he works for — for parking illegally to run into a Tim Hortons to grab a coffee.

The fine was prompted by users of social media.Shaun McLeod posted a picture on Facebook of the police car, which was parked diagonally across the two parking spots. Leah McRorie saw McLeod’s post and promptly retweeted the picture to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). “It’s about the safety of others,” said McRorie, who uses parking stalls for the disabled when she’s with her daughter, Tasia, 20, who uses a walker and a wheelchair.

McRorie said she often sees cars that shouldn’t be parked in such specially designated spots.

“If people could just be more aware — just take the two seconds it’s going to take you to pull into another stall,” she said. “Really, it makes a difference in the lives of so many people here in Edmonton.”

When EPS saw the tweet, the police department responded by thanking McRorie and said someone would investigate.

Hours later, police tweeted again, saying the officer who was driving the vehicle had been given a ticket.