NYPD officers and traffic agents should immediately begin writing tickets on streets where the parking rules have been changed, despite a five-day grace period at the changed spots—and even notes on the new signs saying when the new rules took effect, according top a stunning policy revision.

Department of Transportation officials are posting small notices on all newly changed parking signs showing the date of the revision.

But that shouldn’t stop officers from writing tickets, the rule says.

“Since it is the obligation of the motorist to offer an allowable [defense], members of the service may continue to issue summonses to vehicles that are illegally parked, even if the signage has a posted notice of a parking restriction change and it is within the five-day allowable period,” the Aug. 23 NYPD memo says.

It adds that officers should use “discretion,” and make a special notation on the ticket to help the motorist challenge the summons.

Those notes will likely be made if the officer thinks the car was parked legally in the spot before the sign was changed or if it was observed pulling into the recently changed spot, the rule says.

(Source: NY Post)