In March 2o23, parking enforcement officer Carol Raymond was working in Toronto’s Yonge Street and Bloor Avenue neighbourhood when she spotted a car parked in the no-stopping zone.
“I asked the driver to move — or he’ll get a ticket,” she told Global News. “He refused, (I) gave him a ticket and as I was walking away, I could hear the engine revving.”
The man, Raymond recounted, was driving his vehicle at her, forcing her to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It’s a moment that still haunts her and has caused her to seek help to manage the anxiety that has followed, she said.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been assaulted,” she said. “But I like what I do.”
In 2023, the year a vehicle was allegedly driven directly at Raymond after she handed out a ticket, Toronto police reported a total of 46 assaults against parking officers. That was up from six in 2021 and 15 in 2022. As of July 18, 27 assaults had been reported this year.
On the Monday, Toronto police were forced to respond to another incident, this time leaving two police officers with minor injuries.
Around 12 p.m., Toronto police said a parking enforcement officer called them to the area of Vaughan Road and Glenholme Avenue, fearing a verbal argument with someone they had handed a ticket to could escalate.
Police said they arrived at the scene, where two officers and the man who had received a ticket all ended up with injuries. The man was arrested.
Speaking at the scene, Acting Insp. Duty Senior Officer Jeff Basingway said the incident was an example of growing “unacceptable violence” in the city involving parking tickets.
“Nobody likes to get a ticket, obviously, that includes parking tickets, traffic tickets. Everybody does not like that,” he said.
“When the public receives a ticket, the best advice is just to accept the ticket, follow the restrictions that are on the back of the ticket — that includes being able to set a court date to dispute or they can pay, depending on what their options are at the time.”
The latest violent situation involving a parking ticket came just weeks after Toronto police and its union held a joint event to decry the growing trend. On July 23, the police chief and union president both warned growing violence against parking enforcement officers would be met with harsh consequences.
“Since last year, we are beginning to see a disturbing trend in the rise of assaults on these members,” Chief Myron Demkiw said. “This is unacceptable behaviour. This has a huge impact on their personal and professional lives.”
Jon Reid, union president, said officers had been spat at, punched and forced to jump out of the way of vehicles. Parking enforcement staff are classified as peace officers, meaning assaults against them are prosecuted in the same manner as assaults against police officers.
Raymond said she continues to see great value in her role, keeping the city moving, and hoped to see violent incidents recede, highlighting how hard she works on her own response.
“Everyone has a story, everyone has emotions. I could be in he wrong place at the wrong time, somebody maybe had a bad day and I happen to be there, a lot of times that’s how it is,” she said, also speaking to Global News on July 23.
“I have no control over anyone else but myself — so it’s how I respond to when I’m about to get assaulted or get assaulted.”