Recently, the Berlin Police Department ramped up giving tickets outside of Berlin HS to parents picking up their kids from school.

There are NO PARKING signs posted on Patterson Ave all around the school. The Police department are giving Berlin HS Parents tickets for NO PARKING - when, in fact, they are not PARKED on the street - they are STANDING with their car running, foot on the brake, for about a minute to pick up their kids.

The Berlin Police Chief told me that they are issuing these tickets due to safety issues with parents picking up kids on Patterson ave. Anyone who has picked up a child from Berlin HS is well aware of this safety issue - so I agree fully with the Police Chief, and his goal of making the pick-up and drop-off safer for the kids, however - my issue is the lack of clarity and the issuing of tickets without warning.

The town needs to post signs that say - "No Parking, No Standing, $25.00 fine issued" to make it perfectly clear that no one should be standing on Patterson Ave to pick up their kids. At this point - my issue with this is that NO PARKING is different than NO STANDING, and without that clarity - how can the Berlin Police get away with giving tickets - without even any way to appeal the ticket? The Police cannot appeal it, and the Town Manager will not appeal it - referring the violator BACK to the Police! This is not right, and something needs to be done as a permanent solution.

Our Tax dollars should not pay for the Police to give meaningless Parking tickets - when the violators are not PARKED!! At least - at VERY least - post the right signs - then you would have the right to give a proper - NO STANDING ticket.

Thomas Jefferson states: "Laws are written by men of ordinary understanding for men of ordinary understanding" - In my opinion, these signs are not for ordinary understanding and should be changed.