Residents may now request permit from police to park overnight

The Southfield City Council voted to amend the City’s existing overnight street parking ordinance to change the restricted hours and to also allow overnight parking by applying for a police department permit at the June 25 City Council meeting. 

The City’s Ordinance 1696 now prohibits parking on any public street between the hours of 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.; however, permission to park during these hours may be granted by the chief of police or his designee for a period not to exceed seven days. Permits are granted when a social function is being held, construction is in progress prohibiting the use of a driveway or garage, or other special occasion(s) as long as it is determined that it will not be detrimental to the surrounding neighborhood. Residents seeking permission to park on the public street during these hours will be limited to no more than two requests annually per residence or household. 

The Southfield Police Department strongly supports a three-hour ban of on-street parking during the night for reasons of safety and crime reduction. Recently, due to resident feedback, the hours of overnight parking were also revised through this ordinance change by the City Council. The new hours for no overnight parking are now 2-5 a.m. where the previous ordinance was from the hours of 3-6 a.m. 

The Southfield Code Enforcement Department, in conjunction with the Police Department, will actively patrol the city between the hours of 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. to monitor for any violations of the parking ordinance. Overnight parking on public streets can create traffic flow, appearance and safety issues that could impact emergency services and snow removal. Any vehicles found parked on public streets during the hours of 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. will be subject to a $80 civil infraction ticket. 

For more information, call Code Enforcement at (248) 796-4140.