Violations and Chalking

• Violations and Chalking
• Virtual Chalking Explanation
• Signature Capture on Violation Entry
• Towing Charges Displayed on a Violation
• Reprint Violation

Violations and Chalking

The Violations and Chalking features in the OPSCOM Enforce app allow field personnel to issue citations directly to individuals or vehicles and utilize virtual chalking for time-limit enforcement. Its primary purpose is to streamline the enforcement process, ensuring accurate data capture and provable offenses without the need for physical chalk. This article is intended for OPSCOM administrators and field enforcement staff.

Setup and Configuration

While the enforcement application handles the physical issuance of tickets, administrators must ensure the backend environment is properly configured to support field operations.

Admin Side:

1. Ensure the default chalking grace periods are properly configured within your system settings.

2. Verify that your ticket types, offense locations, and offense reasons are up to date so they populate correctly on the handheld units.

User Side (Enforcement Staff):

1. Open the handheld app and log into an active enforcement account.

2. Ensure your device is connected to a network to receive real-time permit data and user records.

Using this Feature

Enforcement personnel can use the handheld application to perform virtual chalking and issue violations specifically targeted at a person or an unidentified vehicle.

Chalking a Vehicle

Virtual chalking is a highly useful tool that quickly identifies vehicles eligible for time-limit violations. It alerts you if a vehicle has moved since the last chalk and exactly how long ago it was chalked, making it easy to write provable violations.

1. Tap Vehicle Search from the main screen and search for the offending vehicle's plate.

2. Tap Chalk on the vehicle record.

3. Enter the plate province/state and plate type (e.g., Passenger, Commercial, Government).

4. Set a custom chalk grace period if desired (the system default will apply automatically if left blank).

5. Tap Save. The vehicle's timer has now started, and you can return later to verify if a violation is warranted.

Issuing a Person Violation

You must know the person's name and ensure they are a registered user in the system to issue a person violation.

1. Tap Person Search from the main screen.

2. Enter the name of the registered user and tap their entry when it populates.

3. Select Private Property - Person if no vehicle is involved. (If a vehicle is involved, use the Vehicle Violation workflow below).

4. Enter the ticket type, offense location, and the specific offense reason (or reasons, if multiple apply).

5. Attach any necessary files, such as photo or video evidence.

6. Enter private (internal staff only) or public comments (user visible).

7. Tap Save to issue the violation.

Issuing a Vehicle Violation

You can enter a known plate or a plate that has never been entered before; new plates will automatically be added to the vehicle database.

1. Tap Vehicle Search from the main screen and search the license plate.

2. Review the search result icons (see the Visual Cues table below) to verify if the vehicle is eligible for a ticket.

3. Tap the Violation button.

4. Enter the ticket type, offense location, and the specific offense reason(s).

5. Enter additional vehicle information, such as province/state and plate type.

6. Tap the Failed To Identify toggle on the people tab if the driver's identity is unknown. If the identity is known, enter it normally.

7. Attach photo or video evidence and any applicable comments.

8. Tap Save to issue the violation.

Visual Cues and Status Indicators

Searching a plate will return a variety of result types indicating the vehicle's current status. Use the chart below as a reference for the symbols and audio notifications you will encounter:

Icon	Audio Notification	When/Why Is This Combo Used?
Black Cross	None	Plate is not found in the database. Tap to add a new vehicle.
Red X (with Red permit pill)	Buzz	Plate found, but has no valid/active permit, or the plate was chalked and the grace period has expired with still no valid permit. Eligible for violation/ticket.
Green Check (with Green permit pill)	Bing (LPR)	Plate found with at least one valid and active permit, or plate was chalked but a valid permit was added later.
Green Check (with Red dot)	None	Plate found and has permit(s), but the vehicle is NOT active on the user's profile. (Rare)
Notification (Red !)	None	Plate has a specific warning for Do Not Ticket or Tow (DNTT).
Notification (Blue !) (with Blue permit pill)	None	Plate found and has a valid permit, but is parked in the wrong lot/zone.
Chalk (Map)	Swoosh (LPR)	Plate has been chalked (manually or by LPR), and the grace period has not yet expired.
Flag	Buzz	Indicates that there has been a specific alert triggered on either the person or the vehicle.

Understanding the Printed Ticket

Front of the Ticket/Warning

• Ticket Number: A system-assigned number identifying the individual violation.

• Date: The date the violation was issued.

• Ticket Type: The broad category of the violation.

• License Plate & Province: The vehicle's plate number and issuing province/state.

• Offense Type: The specific violation that occurred.

• Location: The physical location where the violation occurred.

• Writer: A unique system-assigned identifier for the enforcement officer (providing officer security while allowing admins to verify their identity in the backend).

• Fine & Towing: The amounts owed for the violation or towing. *(Note: On a warning ticket, the amount is followed by "Warning", indicating it is not owed, but shows what would be due if a real ticket was issued).

• Comments: Additional notes included by the enforcement officer.

Back of the Ticket/Warning The back provides details about the issuing organization and clear policies on how the violator can pay or formally appeal the ticket. It includes a section for the violator to identify themselves and sign off, as well as office hours and contact information.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Always verify visual cues before ticketing: Pay close attention to the search result icons and audio notifications. Ensure you do not accidentally issue a violation to a vehicle with a valid Green Check or a Red Exclamation Point (Do Not Ticket or Tow).

• Leverage the Failed To Identify toggle: Use the Failed To Identify toggle immediately when issuing a vehicle violation if the driver is not present. This allows you to process the ticket efficiently against the vehicle itself without needing a registered user profile.

• Capture undeniable proof: Always attach photo or video evidence when issuing a violation. In the event of an appeal, visual proof combined with virtual chalking data strongly supports the enforcement officer's actions.

Virtual Chalking Explanation

Virtual chalking (or e-chalking) is an electronic process in the OPSCOM Enforce app that precisely mirrors the manual chalking of a vehicle's tire to monitor parking durations. Its primary purpose is to help enforcement officers efficiently track time-limited parking and automatically generate time-stamped photographic evidence for potential violations and appeals. This article is intended for OPSCOM administrators and field enforcement personnel.

Setup and Configuration

Virtual chalking is a native feature of the enforcement application and relies on system-defined grace periods to calculate parking violations.

Admin Side: Administrators must ensure that parking lots with timed parking or permit grace periods are properly configured within the backend system settings. This ensures the handheld application knows exactly how long a vehicle is allowed to remain parked after being chalked before it is flagged for a violation.

User Side (Enforcement Staff): Enforcement officers must have the OPSCOM Enforce app installed on their mobile device and be logged into an active account with device camera permissions fully enabled.

Using this Feature

Officers use the handheld application to record a vehicle's presence at a specific time. If the vehicle overstays the allowed time or grace period, the chalk record serves as undeniable proof for a violation.

For detailed instructions on the complete chalking workflow and how it interacts with ticketing, see the Violations and Chalking article.

Virtual Chalking a Vehicle

1. Tap Search Vehicles on the handheld device to look up the offending vehicle.

2. Capture the license plate using the LPR camera, text input, or voice command.

3. Tap the Virtual Chalk button to immediately create the time-stamped record and start the grace period timer.

4. Capture a contextual image of the vehicle manually if you entered the plate via text or voice. (LPR captures automatically take both a close-up of the plate and a contextual full-back image with time stamps).

Court-Admissible Evidence Virtual chalking provides a photographic image that is seamlessly attached to the violation. This evidence is generally acceptable in a court of law, provided the date and time stamp is clearly visible on the image.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Capture contextual images for manual entries: If you enter a plate via text or voice when chalking, you must manually take a contextual image to record the time stamp. The system only captures these automatically during LPR camera mode.

• Take multiple images when issuing violations: When capturing the plate a second time to issue the actual violation, take multiple images. Using both the timestamped image and the time printed on the ticket allows you to definitively calculate and prove the time the vehicle was parked. There is no limit to the number of images you can attach.

• Preserve your evidence: The chalked image automatically becomes part of the violation unless the patrol officer manually deletes the image. Never delete these images in the field, as they are crucial for dealing with client disputes and formal appeals.

• Leverage chalking for grace periods: Use virtual chalking to manage grace periods efficiently. For example, if a vehicle is parked and the owner is walking to a pay station to purchase a permit, chalking the vehicle allows a fair grace period for them to obtain it before a violation is issued on a subsequent patrol pass.

Signature Capture on Violation Entry

The Signature Capture on Violation Entry feature allows parking enforcement officers to capture a physical signature directly on their handheld device when issuing a ticket. Its primary purpose is to provide proof of receipt and interaction by saving an optimized image of the signature directly to the violation record. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators to help them configure the application settings and train field officers on this functionality.

Setup and Configuration

This feature requires configuration directly within the handheld application settings to determine if the signature workflow is mandatory or optional for your field staff.

Admin Side:

Administrators or supervisors will configure this setting directly on the physical handheld devices used by the enforcement officers.

1. Navigate to Settings on the handheld application.

2. Toggle the Require Signature option to ON to force officers to collect a signature before they can successfully save a violation.

3. Toggle the Require Signature option to OFF to bypass the forced workflow. The signature tab will remain available on the violation entry screen, but it will not be a required field.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to guide parking enforcement officers through capturing a signature in the field using their handheld units.

Capturing a Signature

1. Perform a plate search and open a vehicle's violation entry screen.

2. Tap the pencil icon located on the fifth tab of the top segment bar to open the signature panel.

3. Tap the Open Signature Pad button to launch the full-screen modal.

4. Have the individual use a single finger to sign their name on the blank canvas.

5. Tap the Confirm button to lock in the signature.

6. Review the thumbnail preview of the signature on the tab to ensure it is legible.

7. Tap Save to complete the ticket issuance process.

Note for Android users: If the signature fails to register on the first attempt on an Android device, quickly Double Tap the Confirm button to force the save.

Visual Cues and Status Indicators

• Thumbnail Preview: Once a signature is successfully confirmed, a small image preview will appear directly on the signature tab to verify the capture was successful.

• Missing Signature Alert: If the Require Signature setting is active and an officer attempts to save the violation without capturing a signature, the application will block the save action. The pencil icon tab will immediately turn red, indicating to the officer that a required field is missing.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Train staff on the confirmation workaround: Ensure enforcement officers are aware that they may need to Double Tap the Confirm button on certain Android devices if the signature fails to register immediately. Training officers on this quick workaround prevents frustration and delays during live field enforcement.

• Establish clear enforcement policies: Organizations should develop a clear business rule for when a signature should be collected if the mandatory setting is toggled OFF. Since the signature tab remains available even when disabled as a strict requirement, officers should know which specific violation types or situational encounters still warrant attempting to get a signature.

• Understand data syncing: Captured signatures are saved as highly optimized PNG files (averaging approximately 25KB). These files automatically sync back to the admin backend as image attachments on the violation record for future auditing, reporting, and appeals processing.

Towing Charges Displayed on a Violation

The Displaying Towing Charges on a Violation feature allows organizations to print a default $0.00 towing fee on all physical parking tickets. Its primary purpose is to serve as a visible deterrent, reminding parkers that their vehicle could potentially be towed for infractions, even if a tow is not ordered for the current offense. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and field enforcement personnel configuring the OPSCOM Enforce application.

Setup and Configuration

This setting is configured directly within the system settings of the individual handheld enforcement device.

Admin Side: Administrators or supervisors must configure this setting on the physical devices used by the enforcement officers.

1. Tap System Settings from the full corner menu of the handheld application.

2. Scroll to locate the specific towing charge options under Ticket Content.

3. Enable the Include $0.00 Towing Charge toggle.

Default State By default, this setting is disabled. If the checkbox remains disabled, the towing charge line item will be completely hidden on standard printed tickets unless a real fee is applied.

Using this Feature

Enforcement personnel do not need to perform any special actions to use this feature; it operates automatically when a physical violation is printed.

Printing Tickets with the Notice

1. Issue a standard plate or person violation on the handheld device.

2. Tap Save & Print on the violation entry screen.

3. Review the printed ticket. The physical citation will now automatically include a "Towing" line item explicitly displaying a "$0.00" value.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Understand actual towing charges: If a real towing charge is manually applied to the violation by the officer, the towing charge will always appear on the printed ticket regardless of whether this setting is enabled or disabled. This toggle strictly controls the display of the $0.00 placeholder value.

• Align with institutional policy: Organizations should ensure that displaying a towing reminder aligns with their official parking and enforcement policies. Displaying this warning is an effective deterrent, but it should be supported by actual lot signage and organizational towing rules to avoid confusing your parkers.

Reprint Violation

The Reprint Violation feature allows enforcement officers to print a duplicate copy of a previously issued parking ticket directly from their handheld device. Its primary purpose is to help quickly replace damaged, lost, or misprinted citations while officers are still active in the field. This guide is intended for field enforcement personnel and OPSCOM administrators.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is a native function of the enforcement application and does not require any specialized backend configuration. However, it does rely on properly configured external hardware.

Admin Side: Administrators simply need to ensure that field personnel are equipped with functioning mobile Bluetooth printers and have active enforcement accounts. For details on hardware configuration, refer to the Printers & Printing guide.

User Side (Enforcement Staff): Enforcement officers must ensure their handheld device is actively paired and connected to their designated mobile printer before attempting to reprint a ticket.

Using this Feature

Field personnel can quickly retrieve and reprint recent violation notices directly from the main application menu.

Reprinting Tickets

1. Tap Reprint Violation from the main menu of the OPSCOM Enforce app.

2. Review the list of recently issued tickets displayed on the Reprint Violation Notice screen.

3. Tap the specific violation record that you need to reprint.

4. Follow the subsequent on-screen printer instructions to complete the physical printing process.

Check your hardware first Before navigating to the reprint screen, always verify that your mobile printer is powered on, has sufficient battery life, is loaded with ticket paper, and is actively paired with your handheld unit.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Verify the correct ticket: Always double-check the ticket details (such as the license plate or time of issue) on the screen before tapping to reprint. This ensures you are leaving the correct duplicate citation on the offending vehicle.

• Address the root cause: If you find yourself frequently reprinting tickets due to faded ink or paper jams, report the hardware issue to your administrator. Continuous reprinting wastes time and thermal paper resources.