She’s only been in office two weeks but Oakland police booted mayor-elect Jean Quan’s Prius outside of Oakland City Hall today.
Quan or her husband, who owns the car, hadn’t paid $1,000 in parking tickets. So a police technician affixed the boot of shame.
The booting comes as Quan and her fellow officials have taken center stage in recent controversial parking fiascoes in Oakland.
The District Four councilwoman was part of a huge backlash from residents after council members approved a $2 an hour parking meter hike in 2009 and extended meter enforcement from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Officers said they were told to issue warnings in affluent neighborhoods for some of the same infractions they were told to issue tickets for in some of Oakland’s poorest areas.
The Oakland Police Department told NBC’s Jodi Hernandez that the booting is part of an enhanced effort to collect unpaid fines in the city. From January to October this year, the program has netted Oakland $2.1 million.