LASD relaxes some parking enforcement

Amid the new regional stay-at-home order that aims to keep residents at home as much as possible, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday temporary relaxed parking enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county.

The move became effective immediately for street sweeping and expired registration. Vehicles with expired registration will not be cited, including those in excess of six months, according to an LASD news release.

“The recent stayat-home order, issued in early December, brought to light once again the need for additional parking across Los Angeles County,” read the release. “Understanding the needs and challenges of those in the communities we serve, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Parking Enforcement Detail will temporarily relax parking enforcement, effective immediately, to help cope with parking availability.”

Enforcement in the unincorporated areas of the county, such as Stevenson Ranch and Castaic, will continue for blocking fire hydrants, red zone parking or fire lanes, handicap parking violations, blocking driveways, metered parking in business districts and parked vehicles that disrupt the flow of traffic.

LASD has not issued an expiration date for the relaxed enforcements.

Currently in the city of Santa Clarita, no citations and/or tows are being issued on vehicles with an expired registration, while vehicles in violation of the city’s 72-hour ordinance — law enforcement can remove a vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a highway for 72 hours or more — are being addressed on a reactive basis, and with relaxed enforcement, according to Michael Villegas, city interim communications preservation manager.

“To address the needs and challenges of our communities, the city’s parking enforcement efforts for expired tabs (registration) and 72-hour violations were scaled back effective March 2020,” he said via email.

All other enforcement for parking-related concerns remain in effect and are being addressed as normal, Villegas added.