2 Investigators

CHICAGO (CBS) ― It's one of the rarest things in downtown Chicago, almost extinct: a free parking spot. Some people thought that they had found that hidden treasure, but soon complained to CBS 2 Investigators that they had been caught in a parking trap. Pam Zekman checked out the complaints.

"It's hard to park legally in the city of Chicago," said Bryan Johnson.

Johnson thought he found a safe place to park along LaSalle Street between Chicago and Division.

"I looked at the sign, the sign says no parking 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. So I parked after 9:30 a.m.," Johnson said.

On one day more than a dozen people got parking tickets: $60 a pop.

"It's horrible to give out this many tickets when everybody's struggling," Johnson said.

Johnson's ticket says he parked at 9:17 a.m. in violation of the signs that say no parking, no stopping, no standing.

"They're giving out false tickets because they need to make revenue for something," Johnson said.

We talked to the cop who was writing the tickets.

Pam Zekman: "It appears that you are writing bogus tickets."

Officer Rennard Sutton: "It may be appearing that way to you, it may be appearing that way to them, but I don't feel like it's bogus."

Officer Sutton sits in an unmarked SUV and says he jots down the time people park before 9:30 a.m., then tickets their cars after 9:30 - and after they leave.

Zekman: "Why don't you get out of your car and make them move, say you're in violation of the sign?"

Sutton: "I've done that so very often. I can't even talk to everybody every day to tell them the very same thing over and over."

CBS 2 did observe a parking spot holding ritual. People get into place to secure a spot early, and then sit in their cars. When the clock hits 9:30 a.m. and the spots become legal, they think they're safe, get out of their cars and head to work. That's when Officer Sutton swoops in.

Zekman: "Are you under pressure to write tickets now?"

Sutton: "No, I'm not under pressure, but I've been told that if I see a violation to write it."

But many people we talked to insist they don't park until 9:30 a.m. or after and they're furious about Sutton's aggressive ticket writing. One man talked himself out of a ticket on this day.

As for one he got two weeks ago…

"I'm gonna fight this ticket because it is not true, it is a lie. It's not 9:20. I came at 9:31," said Bidrhan Vojnikovic.

After we asked the Chicago police department about this parking trap technique, we observed a change in procedure. Last week before 9:30, marked police cars chased people off to clear the lane for rush hour traffic, or officers wrote tickets right way.

One of them was Officer Sutton, no longer hiding in his unmarked SUV. He was in his squad car which he began to drive away as we moved in to talk to him.

Zekman: "Did they tell you to stop doing that after I inquired about it?"

Sutton: "Oh, no. No. No.

Zekman: "What happened? This all changed."

And so did the speed he was driving at.

Zekman: "It was a parking trap. Now you're not doing that anymore."

Sutton: "It's not a trap."

We tried to keep up with Sutton's moving squad car.

Sutton: "You can't run fast enough."

Zekman: "Now you're in a marked car."

Sutton: "Now I'm gone."

CBS 2 Investigators want to emphasize that you are taking a chance when you park prematurely in a zone that has time restrictions. If the signs say 'no parking' and 'no standing,' that means you can get a ticket if you sit there and wait until the space becomes legal.

However, a spokesperson for the Chicago police says that Officer Sutton's actions are now under review and officials are looking into the tactics he used to write so many tickets.

Brian Johnson, who said he parked after 9:30 a.m., won his case in court last week.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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