Perhaps you've heard from family or friends in other neighborhoods or viewed the recent news coverage of the San Antonio City Marshal's Office initiative to enforce parking regulations within the neighborhoods.

The City Marshal's charter is to run the detention center, enforce arrest warrants, enforce illegal dumping and code compliance ordinances, transfer prisoners and provide for civil process. The Marshal Unit is comprised of law enforcement officers certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Deputy City marshals wear uniforms and badges and drive marked vehicles with a San Antonio Marshal logo. The unit began operations on January 2, 2007.

Parking violations are civil rather than criminal offenses but expensive nonetheless. A drive through of our neighborhoods nearly anytime reveals vehicles parked opposite to the direction of traffic, vehicles parked or extending over sidewalks, vehicles parked head-in in cul-de-sacs, vehicles stored on the streets (not moved for extended periods 24 hours by ordinance), oversized vehicles parked on the streets or in driveways within 15 of the street (includes RVs and any vehicle with a trailer attached not engaged in loading/unloading), etc.

Once started, the violations become acceptable to some eyes and the practice expands. The City Marshals are responding to neighborhood complaints and a problem the SAPD doesn't have the manpower to address.

Forewarned is forearmed. Spread the word.