Portland, ME is an historic seaside city with a bustling downtown district. The city issued over 120,000 tickets a year and was looking to update its enforcement operations with an integrated, real-time solution that minimized manual work and maximized efficiency. Through a competitive bid process, Portland found a partner in Passport, the leader in mobile solutions for parking and enforcement.
“My initial impression of Passport was how enthusiastic the staff was and and their commitment to teamwork…not only do those thoughts still remain, but they have been validated.” John Peverada, Parking Manager for Portland
With Passport
Manual ticket writing, calling to confirm scofflaw violations, and tedious data entry are all a thing of the past for Portland, thanks to Passport’s end-to-end enforcement solution.
Hello Real-Time Data
Enforcement officers use Passport’s mobile enforcement app to search for vehicle registration information, tickets are issued via a wireless printer, and the data is managed in real time through Passport’s back office system. The department can operate more efficiently and offer better customer service when data is processed in real-time.
Streamlined Operations
With features like fuzzy matching search and drop down selection menus, the ticket issuance mobile app makes the work of inputting data more efficient for officers, and data is more accurate on the back end.
“The mobile app changes my day in a lot of respects. For example, instead of writing out a long car name like Mitsubishi, it’s easy to find [with Passport’s in-app search functionality] and goes much faster.” – Parking Enforcement Officer, Portland, ME
Community Connection
While their priority is enforcing parking ordinances, parking enforcement officers are also expected to serve as the public face of the department. To support this initiative, Portland engages its officers in in house public relations training programs, IPI conflict resolution workshops, a police department training called Verbal Judo, and customer service workshops. With the power of mobile, officers have a more efficient means of issuing tickets, and having efficient operations means they can spend more time focusing on establishing relationships with community members and less time with manual processes.
“My favorite part about the job is being able to walk around and meet up with people. That’s the most important thing. I don’t just drive around in the truck. Walking around makes you more involved in the job…I have conversations with people, and try to seem friendly so people aren’t afraid of me. If I’m friendly, it gives people the impression that parking people aren’t so bad.” – Parking Enforcement Officer, Portland, ME
Customized Reports
Portland required specific reporting functionality to service its operations. That included an Officer Route Map to track officer beats in real time, an Officer Activity Chart to track citation issuance activity, and a Ticket Density Heatmap to identify areas of high and low productivity. The culmination of these reports has led to a modern and optimized system for parking enforcement in Portland, that would not have been possible in previous years.
Partnership & Support
A dedicated project management, training, and product support team led Portland’s enforcement launch, and ensured zero data loss during the system transition. A dedicated Client Success Manager visited Portland in person to provide on-site training to system administrators and enforcement officers.
“I am impressed with all of team members that I have had contact with from Passport.” John Peverada, Parking Manager for Portland
Where are they now?
Since implementing Passport Enforcement, parking citations have decreased by 20%, which the city attributes to an increase in parking compliance and convenience of the mobile app. Citations can now be uploaded almost instantly with an image, which helps streamline online appeals. Of those citations written, 70% are now paid online which increases efficiency and helps digitize operations.
In summer of 2018, Portland launched Passport’s mobile pay parking solution. Since implementation, mobile parking transactions have increased 270% with an average of over 45k transactions each month. App utilization is at 49% and accounts for 48% of all parking revenue.