Dear editor:

With all the theft in the area recently, I think it is important for the citizens of Norman Park Georgia to know how their law enforcement officials are choosing to focus their resources.

I left work early today to join my first grade daughter for a parent lunch at school. I arrived at school at approximately 12:45 and parked in the rain along the roadside behind a myriad of other vehicles.

Although I have grown up in the area, the city has recently made that particular side of the street a “no parking”– of course, I did not park directly in front of the sign, it was raining, there is no yellow paint along the curb, and there was a line of cars in front of me. I was not, therefore, tipped off to this change in the parking law.

Because of the number of parents attending the lunch, both sides of the street were full of cars when I arrived and we were all simply focused on making this time special for our children.

When I left the school approximately 45 minutes later, all the vehicles along that particular side of the road had citations stuck under their car doors. The people cited included grandmothers and parents from all walks of life (as I saw them all looking around bewildered) — all simply trying to “be there” for these kids. I immediately read the citation, did a double take looking for the signage, and went straight to the city offices.

 I assumed that these must be warnings, and not true citations. I was sorely mistaken.

Everyone was in fact cited and the fine will be $100 dollars for each citation. The officer said I would have to pay or come to the scheduled court hearing.

Yes, I apparently did park illegally, though it was completely unintentional. I am 38 years old, a non-practicing attorney, and I haven’t received a citation since a seat belt violation when I was in college. If I had been stopped for speeding, I would have kept my mouth shut and simply paid the fine. However, it is less than two weeks before Christmas, and for many of those receiving a citation, that $100 dollars may make a huge dent in how their families celebrate the holidays.

The city will now profit from these “easy money” citations from people just trying to be good parents. Merry Christmas to the persons charged with enforcing law in Norman Park–everyone will sleep better tonight knowing you got us!

Miranda Willis Cox

Lenox