I-Team: Are public officials above the law?

KSDK -- A Newschannel Five investigation into St. Louis police officers and other public officials parking illegally has resulted in swift and decisive action. Police officers quickly retaliated writing dozens of tickets on KSDK vehicles.

In mid June, a citizen began sending The I-Team pictures of police cars parked illegally in front of St. Louis police headquarters. There is no question police put their lives on the line everyday, but this citizen questioned whether police felt they were above the law.

Does this violation rise to the level of an FBI investigation into the department regarding an alleged towing scandal? Of course not.

Does this parallel the last years indictments against two veteran officers accused of planting evidence and dealing drugs? No.

But, the question raised is whether police or any public official is above the law, even if it's just parking laws.

I-Team cameras found illegally parked police cars blocking fire hydrants around police headquarters in downtown St. Louis every day we looked. Right across the street you could see empty spots specifically designated for police vehicles.

Kyela Sawyer, a citizen walking by with her nephew's commented, "The police are parking wherever they want to park, they're breaking the law, but they want to enforce the law when other people do it?"

Another citizen, Jerry Gavin, said, "They shouldn't park by a fire hydrant. What if there was a fire?"

On July 1, the I-Team requested an interview with St. Louis Police Chief Daniel Isom. We were told he wouldn't be available until August. So, spokesperson Erica Van Ross commented instead. She said, "It's really as simple as parking at police headquarters is bad. It's something that has been a problem for years."

Parking outside the Justice Center must be a problem too because this police vehicle parked near a hydrant. The same is true at the Kiel Opera house where another unmarked police car sat beside a hydrant.

Van Ross explained," Do you want them to drive around the block and park somewhere they shouldn't to question a homicide guy? Or do you want them to park where they're supposed to park and take the chance that the extra ten minutes means the suspect isn't going to open up? It's really that simple."

We didn't just notice police vehicles parking illegally. When confronted with rolling cameras one person who worked for the Comptroller's office said," I drive a city car."

Zigman asked," Does this allow you to park wherever you want?"

"Yes mam," he replied.

"Even in front of a hydrant," asked Zigman? "Yes mam."

He continued, "I don't park at meters and take up meters. I park in no parking zones."
He's not supposed to. Either is a circuit attorney employee who parked by a hydrant underneath five no parking & tow away signs.

"It just doesn't really bother me," said one citizen.

But it does bother St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson who sent a statement: "The law should apply to everyone whether you're a citizen or police officer. The law states you shouldn't park within ten feet of a fire hydrant."

"We don't ticket the media. It's just a problem around this area in general, said Van Ross. She then said that practice was likely to change after our story aired. Just days after that interview, police began targeting KSDK vehicles outside our garages. So far they've written 50 tickets totaling more than $1500.00 dollars.

Our news vehicles were double parked, but so was a nearby delivery truck and dump truck. Police only ticketed KSDK vehicles.

Determined to speak to the chief, we showed up at a police board meeting to ask if he ordered officers to retaliate.

"I haven't directed anyone to target KSDK in terms of parking tickets. We try to address the parking issues around police headquarters. When we have time, we enforce it," said Isom.

On the day I spoke to the chief, police ticketed media vans outside headquarters. They did not ticket this illegally parked Mercedes. It belongs to police board president Todd Epsten.

Epsten said, "Parking is not something the board spends a lot of time talking about." When asked about his illegally parked Mercedes, Epsten said, "I did not park my Mercedes illegally today. I was on police business and I parked out in front."

But Epsten has is own assigned parking spot right at police headquarters. He was parked in spot marked police vehicles only. His Mercedes is not a police vehicle.

Epsten explained, "I guess we could get into a big debate about it but here's the answer. I left my garage door opener at home. I parked out in front, and if I was guilty of that so be it."

Van Ross says about 300 officers need to park near headquarters daily but there are only 160 spots.

City officials say they can't just give police spots in the city hall lot or the new garage because those bring in money.

Police trimmed 20 million dollars from this year's budget. Finding funds for additional parking isn't likely.

That places officers in a position of rolling the dice, betting a fire won't break out at police headquarters.

Last year KSDK spent about $900.00 in parking tickets. But in just two weeks after Zigman started working on the story, police fined KSDK more than $1,500.00. KSDK has paid half of them, but is contesting the tickets for blocking our own garages.