San Francisco parking officers fear backlash from crackdown, demand safety at rally
SAN FRANCISCO – Parking control officers rallied outside San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency headquarters Thursday, fearing for their safety as the city ramps up its crackdown on parking violations.
Officers told CBS News Bay Area that they've always felt at risk while doing their jobs. Now that SFMTA has announced that they'll be cracking down on parking enforcement, officers like Mishan Schexnayder feel like there's a bigger target on their back.
"It's very stressful. I have anxiety and it's scary," she said.
Two years ago, Schexnayder she had an experience she'll never forget. She placed a parking citation under someone's windshield wiper and drove away, thinking that interaction was over, but she was wrong.
"Someone got upset because they got a ticket, so he followed me two or three blocks, waited for me, punched the window and cut my eye," Schexnayder told CBS News Bay Area.
The glass from the enforcement vehicle's window cut her face and her eye. Schexnayder couldn't work for 10 months while she recovered.
"I thought I was going to lose my eye," Schexnayder said, remembering the day it happened.
Schexnayder says SFMTA is pressing charges but the case is still pending. She did think about leaving her job.
"I thought about just doing a desk job but I was like, I'm not going to let him win," Schexnayder said. "So I initially went back out, but I'm still apprehensive to this day."
Trevor Adams, the president of the parking control officers' union, says Schexnayder is not alone in her experience.
"We deal with everything, from objects being thrown at us all the way up to physical assaults and threats being made on our lives and our family," Adams said.
SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said in a statement that "Safety is our top priority at the Agency. Thanks to our efforts, crime is down 48% since 2018 within our system."
"We know how hard our employees work to keep San Francisco moving, and we are committed to a fair and safe workplace for all of our employees," Kato said. "Our Parking Control Officers are provided de-escalation training, self-defense tools, and have access to our internal dispatch center that communicates directly with SFPD for any assistance they need. We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of all of our employees"
Adams said they are still calling on SFMTA to do more.
"I would like SFMTA to include us in the conversation more realistically. Actually go ahead and hear what we have to say," he told CBS News Bay Area.
Adams said the parking control officers didn't know about the intensive parking enforcement sweeps that were recently announced by the SFMTA director. They're expected to start in the coming weeks.
"It was kind of shocking to me because we do have forums where we can meet with the mayor and with our leadership and never once have we been brought into that conversation," Adams said. "We found out on the news, just like when everybody else found out."
That announcement and the upcoming sweeps makes both Adams and Schexnayder even more concerned for their safety.
"Everyday," Schexnayder said in response to how often she worries about her safety. "I'm constantly looking over my shoulder. I'm traumatized."
Parking control officers said while they're still negotiating their contracts, all options are still on the table, including striking. The workers are represented by SEIU Local 1021.