Police Department
www.santa-ana.org/pd
Item # 9
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
March 4, 2025
TOPIC: Contract Parking Enforcement Services
AGENDA TITLE
Contract Parking Enforcement Services with LAZ Parking California LLC
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive and file.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
The Santa Ana Police Department has been contracting for additional parking enforcement services for over a decade. The current parking enforcement model is comprised of full-time and part-time Police Department Parking Enforcement Personnel and through an agreement with LAZ Parking California LLC (LAZ). After a competitive Request for Proposal process in 2023, the LAZ parking enforcement agreement was formalized to provide personnel to supplement enforcement of street sweeping violations, parking meter violations, permit parking violations, and other select parking enforcement needs through June 30, 2025, with three (1) year renewal options. The agreement funds 2,080 hours of Parking Ambassador Supervisor time and 14,248 hours of Parking Ambassador time annually for an amount not to exceed $938,444.
LAZ Current Contracted Personnel:
•One Full-Time Supervisor
•Seven Full-Time Parking Ambassadors
•One Part-Time Parking Ambassador
LAZ Current Deployment:
•Five assigned to street sweeping citywide
•One assigned to graveyard parking enforcement
•One assigned to late parking meters enforcement
•One assigned to part-time meter enforcement within Downtown Santa Ana CITATIONS:
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FY 2024-25 (July 2024 – January 2025)
LAZ Citations
Issued2
Value of
Citations
Issued3
PD Citations
Issued2
Value of
Citations
Issued3
Downtown1 5,235 $ 102,750 Downtown1 2,708 $ 62,848 Citywide 32,030 $1,259,403 Citywide 22,146 $ 941,604
Total 37,265 $1,362,153
Total 24,854 $1,004,452
LAZ Contract Cost $ 938,444 City Cost4 $1,357,685
FY 2023-24 (July 2023 – June 2024)
LAZ Citations
Issued2
Value of
Citations
Issued3
PD Citations
Issued2
Value of
Citations
Issued3
Downtown1 9,919 $ 163,494 Downtown1 2,374 $ 45,140 Citywide 62,216 $1,968,092 Citywide 33,628 $1,085,604
Total 72,135 $2,131,586
Total 36,002 $1,130,744
LAZ Contract Cost $ 938,444 City Cost4 $1,205,209
1 Downtown includes all parking meter areas with Santa Ana Municipal Code 36.402(1) and 36.432(11) violations. 2 Total number of citations include those that may have been cancelled, dismissed, paid, etc. and may include multiple California Vehicle Code and Santa Ana Municipal Code violations on same citation. 3 Total value of citations issued does not necessarily indicate payment due to cancellations, dismissals, delinquencies, etc. and may include amounts for multiple violations issued on same citation. 4 City Cost includes budgeted salaries and benefits for (1) Senior Parking Control Officer and (10) Parking Control Officer positions.
CUSTOMER SERVICE MESSAGING:
In early 2024, the Police Department received complaints regarding LAZ’s lack of customer service. As a result on August 7, 2024, the Police Department hosted training and instituted a Community Engagement Enforcement Philosophy. This new approach was delivered to all Santa Ana Police Parking Control Officers and LAZ Parking Ambassadors. The new approach was to implement two aspects prior to enforcement, which were education and warnings. The purpose of this philosophy was to teach our LAZ Ambassadors about creating positive community engagement experiences with those who violated parking laws. Additionally, the Police Department instructed the Parking Enforcement personnel on the importance of communication and listening skills during all contacts.
COMMUNITY CARETAKING DOCTRINE (VEHICLE IMPOUNDS):
The Santa Ana Police Department, including LAZ Parking Ambassadors abide by the Contract Parking Enforcement Services
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State of California’s Community Caretaking Doctrine when addressing the impounding of vehicles. In addition to ensuring a valid vehicle impound and storage authority as identified in the California Vehicle Code, the State mandates (effective January 2019) that a peace officer or other authorized person cannot tow or impound vehicles (a warrantless seizures of property) unless the impound or storage also meets the Community Caretaking Doctrine, which consist of the three justifications listed below:
•Vehicle is parked in such a manner that it is blocking the normal flow of traffic. •Prevent a theft of contents or vandalism. The Parking Control Officer must believe the property inside the vehicle is threatened and impound action is required to protect the owner’s property from theft or vandalism. There must be “Reasonable belief”, meaning another Parking Control Officer faced with the same circumstances would conclude that action was required. •Protect the public: Objective, specific, and articulable facts that lead the Parking Control Officer to believe that the vehicle poses a safety hazard to the public.
Example: car is burnt, leaking battery fluid, blocking access to a fire hydrant/alley.
The following table includes an estimated total cost should the City opt to discontinue contracting for these services and add full-time positions to the Police Department budget to provide the same service levels as LAZ:
Description Annual Cost
(1) Senior Parking Control Officer $ 114,978
(7) Parking Control Officers 744,968
(8) Vehicles – one-time purchase 541,184
Vehicle Maintenance 85,152
Fuel/Gas 28,000
Uniforms and Vest 18,560
Total $1,532,842
Staff estimates an initial first year cost of $1,532,842. Subsequent year budgets will be reduced by the exclusion of the vehicle purchase costs and the vests issued to the new positions. However, annual salary step increases, new premiums, and any negotiated raises by the bargaining group will increase the cost of the full-time positions and impact the annual total cost.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
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EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with LAZ Parking California LLC (A-2023-121) Submitted By: Robert Rodriguez, Police Chief
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager