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88-1408 . .. f : � . �;,� . < • '_ "_..� ,...__._ -/���,��1n�.���: . , ,- � � _� - �� r . , ,; ��, `' - I�/!� G�'�E.�t� �f/FE S `T WMITE - C�TV CLERK PINK - FINANCE COUnCII BI.UERV - MAVORTMENT GITY OF SAINT PAUL File NO. ���/��� �o ncil Resolution -- � Presented By --- eferred To ������ �/�� �� Committee: Date �`°�5�� Out of Committee By Date WHEREAS, concern for public safety in parking facilities has been heightened by recent tragic events and mandates a reevaluation of ineasures and practices which may enhance safety in said facilities; and WHEREAS, the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Parking Ramp Safety has issued its fina3� report containing information and recommendations pertinent to Saint Paul parking facilities; and WHEREAS, said Blue Ribbon Report indicates that 42 serious sexual assaults occurred between January of 1981 and January of 1988 in the City of Saint Paul and that 38 of those assaults occurred in surface lots, while four occurred in parking ramps; and WHEREAS, the economic health of our community, as well as the physical safety of citizens, is at state in our providing parking environment� in wTiich users experience a sense of safety and comfort; now, there�ore, be it RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council does hereby request that the Administration review the report and recommendations of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission and any information available through the Attorney General's Task Force on Violence Against Women, as part of our ongoing commitment to the safety, convenience, and attractiveness of our community; and be it further RESOLVED, that the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Report be evaluated in the context of particular circumstances in Saint Paul, including the recent historical preponderance of surface lot crime as compared with ramp crime; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Administration report to the City Council with appropriate recommendations in the following areas: -1- COUNCIL MEMBERS Requested by Department of: Yeas Nays ��' � Dimond ��'�� ;1,�' �� � � � In Favor Goswitz --. Rettman �"�s scheibe� � '�`. '�" A gai n s t BY Sonnen �'`'�-- Wilson �� - Form Approved by City Attorney Adopted by Council: Date Certified Passed by Council Secretary By By, Approved by Mavor. Date _ Approved by Mayor for Submission to Council gy — BY . WHITE - C�TV CLERK PINK - FINANCE COUILC11 G/y� BIUERV - MAYORTMENT GITY OF SAINT PALTL File NO• V v /��� � Council Resolution Presented By Referred To Committee: Date Out of Committee By Date 1. Safety features and crime deterrents in existing and planned parking ramps; 2. Safety features and crime deterrents in surface lots, including hospitals and other medical facilities, shopping centers, parks and recreational grounds, multi-housing complexes, and business lots; 3. Public information and participation; and be it FINALLY RESOLVED, that said recommendations shall be presented to the City Council no later than December 31, 1988. COUNCIL MEMBERS Requested by Department of: Yeas Nays Dimond t.o� In Favor Gosw;tz Rettman B sche,bet _ Against Y Sonnen Wilson Form Approved by City Attorney Adopted by Council: Date Certified Passed by Council Secretary BY g�, t#pproved by Mavor: Date _ Approved by Mayor for Submission to Council gy _ BY � . �g-�yo�"" , •> . � ��a � OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER 211 Transportation Building � Telephone: '�yr, STATE O F M I N N ESOTA R`C � � DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAINT PAUL 55155 JUC �� �8 J u 1 y 25, 1�8$ �AM�g S���reAN 'g��, TQ: B!I)E R:i?EJ?V GCI�;;T�STt1N ��1�M;3F��S F���: Pdi.i� �. i�SCn i d:;,�,. ;�+ ;��Chai r � Rr: �j nal pr}���r� -- s�i ue Ri ht�or, i,�rrmi ssi on on Par���r,g R��ir�� Safei�y �tta��hec: i s ;.he �ro���sed fi rtia� r.°e��ort of our cor�,ni t��� c;n r•�+.mL� s�fiEi.y. We a:;i..e�:d a± our m�e�i r�y tha�; i t was �irnportai��t tc get i n�orma�:;o��i u�;f: a� so_��i a� �os�i��le und evcryone felt thair, ��re have e,�c�gn �infior•i��ation to f�.il�i i ; �hp cf�,����e whi ch we w�rP c�i ven. Unless I rear, of ad�itior�a1 comments or �oncerns fram coir!rniitee m�mbers, � ? irr�.en�a to relFase the report on r=r�day morning, �ul.y �9. Tha;�� you for your i nterest anci i nvu'I vement. �i r�cerely, Paul J. �l"SC��?da Commi s s i�neri�;tia i r PJT: bjj En:los�,�r� AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER � � , ��-/�'0�' � � � � ' ���`""�' OFFICE OF THE COMMIS$IONER 211 Transportation Building � Telephone: '��� oF STATE OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SAINT PAUL 55155 BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON PARKTNG RAMP SAFETY FINAL REPORT �7u1�1� 29 , 1�88 rI'ABLE OF CONTE:�TS Introduction 1 ' Researck� Issues 2 Pzr..king Spaces 3 St. Paul Crime Data -- Sexual Assaults in P�rking F'acil�ties 4 Current Efforts -- R�mp Saf�ty 5-6 Ramp Saf�ty Issues ?-8 Recomraendations g-1,� ��rd.inances �1 Bloomington Fire & Life Safety �on,mittee Chec�cl is t 12 Il�uminatin� Engineers Society -- I�ightir.g Standards :�3 C��mmiss:�on Member�hi� 14 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER � � , � �-�y�� PARKING RAMP SAFETY The recent and tragic series of crimes in buildings and parking ramps have caused deep public concern in the Twin Cities area. While some types of crime committed off the street affect both sexes, women have particular fear and concern about their vulnerability to personal assault, rape and homicide in unprotected and hidden spaces such as parking ramps. On June 22, Governor Rudy Perpich, along with business and government leaders from Minneapolis and St. Paul, called for a Blue Ribbon Commission to look into parking ramp safety. The commission was charged with examining the physical and operational aspects of parking ramps in the metropolitan area to determine what has and is being done to improve security, and what can be done to better assure safety in the future. While parking ramp safety is not a new problem, it is a growing one. Since the advent of parking ramps in the 1950 's and 60 's, there have been concerns over the security of persons and property. The problem has grown with the metropolitan area. The Twin Cities are no longer "small" towns; they face problems of other large urban centers. Concerns for personal safety extend beyond downtown ramps to areas of high par7cing density such as the university, the airport, shopping malls and hospitals and to other areas such as bus stops. Parking ramp owners and operators have responded in various ways to provide a safer environment for customers, including: architectural design to minimize dark and hidden areas; use of technology such as closed circuit television and alarm systems; provision of escort services; and efforts to limit access by intruders. The current concerns in the community raise the issue of what steps should be taken to assure acceptable levels of security in parking ramps, now and for the future. The perception and fear of crime is as important as the reality of it. When brutal crimes occur and receive media attention, as in recent events, public concern is understandably heightened. Efforts must be made to ease public fears and reduce the likelihood of a repeat of such tragedies. During deliberations of the commission, some raised concerns over the criminal justice system and sentencing guidelines. Such questions go beyond the scope of this report. While admittedly only a piece of the problem, the commission focused solely on parking ramps. The Attorney General 's Task Force on Violence Against Women will be look�.ng into broader issues. The Blue Ribbon Commission's process resulted in the sharing of ideas and information between metropolitan communities on improving parking ramp safety; the report does not purport to be an exhaustive treatment of the issue. The recommendations put forward range from promoting personal safety education and public awareness of ramp safety to. municipal review of the safety fea�ures of existing and planned parking ramps. -1- � � , ��=��o�' RESEARCH ISSUES ON PARKING RAMP CRIME The commission process raised questions that could not be answered either becuase of lack of data or insufficient time to conduct the necessary research. Potential research topics are listed below. Basic Data Collection On a metro�olitan basis, collect and aggregate data on parking related crimes for both ramps and surface lots. Currently, even on the city level, crime data is not collected in this manner. Participants in the ramp safety working group noted that the attention has been focused on the downtown areas, but parking related crimes also occur in the suburbs. Impact on Business and Emplovee Morale The recent assaults have resulted in additional costs to business both in terms of additional security measures and increased concern of employees over their safety. There may be additional costs to downtown merchants in terms of business lost to other shopping areas which are perceived as "safer" . � �mpact of Mass Transit System on Personal Safety Twin Cities residents rely heavily on individual transportation and therefore need parking spaces. Development of a mass transit system would lessen the concern over safe parking and raise a new set of personal safety concerns.� Purnose and Effec� of Safety Measures There is a twofold purpose in providing security at parking ramps: 1) to make those using the ramps feel more secure; and, 2) to deter criminals. Little is known about what security efforts in fact make people, especially women, feel safer and more willing to use such facilities. Further, little is known about what security efforts create the most effective deterrents to crime. The effectiveness of security measures will likely differ depending if the criminal is an opportunist (a thief who steals car radios) or a predator. Behavioral science research is needed in this area. -2- � � , ��-�yo� PARKING SPACES Minneapolis Public Parkinq Ramps Surface Lots Meters Total Center Core 9,288 1,758 143 11, 189 Outer Core 7,723 5,796 666 14, 185 Frame 4,749 6, 488 1, 993 12 ,430 Riverfront 1,430 2 , 707 323 4 ,460 Total 23, 190 16, 749 3,125 43, 064 St. Paul Downtown Parkina• Public and Employee Ramps Surface Lots Meters Total St. Paul 13, 795 11, 000 1,891 26, 686 State Emplovee Parking in the Capitol Complex The state operates two employee ramps, the Centennial Ramp and the Administration Ramp, with a total of 1, 393 slots. The state also has 17 surface lots with a total of 1,480 slots. Two additional ramps are in the planning stages, one for the new Judicial Building and one for the State Office Building. University of Minnesota � The University of Minnesota has a total of 14, 601 parking slots between ramps, garages and surface lots. The University Hospital parking ramp has an additional 580 slots. Analysis Minneapolis data, the most detailed, indicates that if you plan to park your car downtown, the majority of parking spaces available are in parking ramps. In downtown Minneapolis (center and outer core figures listed above) there are 25, 374 total parking slots; 16, 011 (or 63%) of those slots are in ramps. Data received from Tom Duffee of the Minneapolis Downtown Council; Paul LaPointe, St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development; Captain R. C. Smith, Capitol Security; and Sergeant Jim Verbrugge, University of Minnesota Police. -3- � � . • �g-/�v� . . , PARKING RELATED CRIME -- ST. PAUL The police department for the city of St. Paul researched the incidence of serious sexual assault in parking settings between January of 1981 and January of 1988. They found 42 reports. The sites of these attacks were as follows. Parking Ramps 4 Surface Lots housing (apartments/dorms) 15 bars and liquor stores � park and recreational 6 :�.shopping centers 5 medical facilities 2 churches 2 business lots 1 Total 38 (According to the Bureau of Criminal Aprehension, there were a total of 1, 540 reported rapes in the city of St. Paul during the same period of time. ) -4- � � � . . . � , �S-i��� CURRENT EFFORTS TO IMPROVE RAMP SAFETY Minneapolis Police The department has: o improved communications with parking ramp operators. They will begin a newsletter to parking ramp owners to provide information on ramp crime patterns (see attachment) . o conducted 79 personal safety workshops for businesses, apartment complexes and hotels. Group size averaged between 50 and 100 people. o distributed nearly 200, 000 personal safety brochures to parking ramps and most surface lots in the downtown area. Minneapolis City Council o The Council has began discussions to establish a parking ramp safety advisory committee with public and private members. St. Paul Police The department has: o begun a dialogue with city ramp owners on police patrols for parking ramps. o produced a 12 minute video tape on personal safety and distributed it to businesses and to parking lot/su�face lot owners to help train their employees. o distributed over 30, �00 personal safety brochures on cars parked in ramps. o conducted 25-30 presentations on personal safety to a total of 2, 000 to 3, 000 people. They have requests for additional presentations through July and into August. City of Bloomington o For a number af years, the city has had a fire and life safety committee to review plans for parking ramps (see attachment) . State of Minnesota o The Dept. of Administration and the Dept. of Public Safety are coordinating efforts to improve safety in state parking ramps. The state will promote escort service through Capitol Security, increase visibility of security officers in ramps (through walking instead of driving patrols) , improve lighting, and hold a sexual assault seminar. -5- . , . . . . . , ����Q�" o Attorney General Humphrey will hold a task force on the broader issue of violent crime against women. Newspapers o Extensive newspaper coverage of the parking ramp murders has included articles =on improving personal safety. Ma�or Employers o Major employers are reassessing their employee parking ramp security. Responses differ from site to site, but include the provision of additional guards and escort services. Crime Prevention Officers Association o The Association has prepared course outlines for community presentations on personal safety and prepared a training course to certify crime prevention officers. The Association also plans a symposium on violent Crime in Minnesota. (A letter from the Association to the Task Force on Ramp Safety is attached. ) -6- � � . , . , � , ��/�a� ISSUES CONCERNING RAMP SAFETY Ramp Desian Regulations and Standards o Guidelines do not guarantee safety. Individuals still need to use good personal safety practices. o If state or local government chooses to regulate parking ramps, it could have an impact on the liability of a ramp owner in the event of a lawsuit. The plaintiff would argue that the problem should have been "foreseeable" by the owner; the owner would argue that they met government standards for safety. o Crime prevention is not the sole design concern. The need for multiple exits in the case of a fire, for instance, conflicts with the crime prevention concern of limiting access to the ramp. The aesthetic concern of high berms to hide parked cars also conflicts with crime prevention. Design review will necessitate compromise. o Appropriate ramp safety standards may differ between high crime and low crime neighborhoods. Reaching a consensus on standards for a parking ramp safety ordinance may be difficult. o While better designs can be applied to new ramps, retrofitting old ramps is expensive. o One suggestion for safety -- reserved parking for women near ramp entrances -- raises the issue of discrimination. o Deterrent factors proposed may have minimal effect on the types of individuals committing the assaults in ramps. � Active Securit � nt��,wQ� � Providing additional surveillance technologies and/or ��° ,,,Z:�_ _„p • �scort services involves additional costs. �� �a,y��--� __� w��, � o Sharing of certain police information with ramp owners violates confidentiality laws. (Police, for instance, cannot share the name of a suspect unless a warrant has been issued for their arrest. ) o One idea proposed -- monitoring short-term parkers (who may enter the ramp just long enough to commit a crime) -- may cause some inconvenience to consumers. o Ramp attendants are also the victims of attacks. -7- � � , �S-/��� o Opportunities exist for better cooperation between police, ramp attendants and ramp security. Further, individual ramps or ramp associations may choose to share information on criminal activity. o Currently, no standards or licensing exists for hiring security guards. Because of the importance of their job, requirements such as passing a physical exam and a background check may be appropriate. Public Education in Personal Safetv o Though individuals need to take responsibility for their own safety, crime victims should not be "blamed" for being victims. They have a right to be in the ramp. o Public awareness -- and the current media attention -- of the need for parking ramp safety will wane in the future. Public education of the need for parking ramp safety needs to be an ongoing effort. o Crime in the downtown area is publicized in the newspapers but problems exist in suburban shopping centers. Ridgedale has put in a precinct station. Public education is also needed outside the downtown area. o Public attention is focused on parking ramps, but it is not clear that surface parking lots are necessarily safer. - o Different personal safety strategies are needed for different kinds of ramps. Strategies for employee ramps -- where the same individuals use the ramp every day and enter and leave at predictable times -- will differ from strategies for consumer ramps. Unique strategies are needed for places such as hospitals where a high percentage of the employees are women and where many work odd hours. -8- � � , , . ���/�U� RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARKING RAMP SAFETY While it is impossible to guarantee a perfectly safe parking ramp, improved ramp design and security measures, better communications among ramp owners and between ramp owners and police, and public education on personal safety can make parking ramps safer to use. The commission recommends the following. 1) No changes in the state building code or state law are needed as they relate to parking ramp safety. �t°��pa23ties should consider: x a) Passacte of a parking ramp ordinance. (Few examples exist around the country. They are summarized in attached documents. ) b) Providina periodic inspections of parking ramps for the purposes of recommending crime prevention improvements. 2) Establish a review process for ramp design. This review process should include not only crime prevention, but also fire safety, handicap accessibility and aesthetic concerns. (The checklist used in the Bloomington review process is attached. ) 3) Police and ramp emplovees should work toaether to improve ram safet . Police departments should: a) facilitate the sharing of information on crime patterns and crime suspects with ramp owners and ramp security. The police should begin to collect ramp specific crime data. Ramp owners should also share information on their own; they are not bound by the same confidentiality requirements as the police. b) provide training to ramp attendants in such areas as monitoring short-term parkers (who may drive in just long enough to commit a crime) , listening for "meaningful noises" and checking the backseats of cars as they leave the ramp. 4) Parkina ramAS should t�rovide adequate lightina. The Pittsburgh ordinance provides one standard, the Handbook of the Illuminating Engineering Society (attached) another. 5) Ramps should be periodicallv patrolled either by private securitv, attendants or police -9- � � . , . . � . 8�-i�o� 6) Public education of t�ersonal safety measures should be an onqoina t�rocess not a short-term response to a tragedy a) One way to keep the issue in the public eye would be for the Twin Cities to hold an annual Ramp Safety Awareness Week. b) The state has a role in producing and coordinating materials on parking ramp safety for distribution to other communities. - c) Cities and employers should endorse and publicize crime prevention programs. Ramp owners may do something as simple as printing safety messages on the back of parking stubs. Other recommendations include the following. +�` Ramp employees should have written procedures to follow for crime prevention and response to criminal activity. o Ramp owners should encourage communications between attendants and ramp security. They should share information about suspicious behavior. Further, attendants could be in radio communication with security. Ramps could conduct security drills to assure that their employees can respond to an emergency. Attendants should be consulted about changes to improve surveillance. Monitors which change rapidly from camera to camera, for instance, can cause eye strain. The end result may be that attendants simply fail to monitor the screens. o Ramps should be well maintained and have clear signs. Ramps should be painted with light colored paint to improve visibility. Security personnel should check and maintain surveillance equipment. Maintenance equipment should not be stored on parking levels; it can provide a convenient place to hide. Signs should clearly indicate floor level, exits and available telephones and fire alarms. Signs should also indicate the ramp is under surveillance and trespassers will be prosecuted. o Ramps should provide a hotline for consumer complaints and concerns. Consumers should be encouraged to complain so that potential problems are addressed quickly. o Parking spaces should be reserved for women, where appropriate, that will provide them with easier and safer access to tYieir cars. -10- � , , . . ��-iyo � . ORDINANCES ON PARKING RAMP SAFETY Buffalo. New York The Buffalo ordinance requires: o signs indicating hours of operation. Signs must be visible from the street and "measure at least three by four feet. " , o attendants at each lot. Exceptions are mac�e for lots serving weekly or monthly customers and for lots with mechanically controlled entrances. Attendant should be "honest, courteous and competent. " o sufficient lighting to protect customers while the lot is open. o reports to police on vehicles left for over 48 hours. Euclid. Ohio The Euclid ordinance addresses the need for security guards at apartment complex parking lots. Any complex over 400 units must have one 24 hour/day security guard for the building and parking lot. Complexes over 700 units require two such guards. T�e Director of Public Safety may -- after holding a public hearing -- require a security guard for complexes under 400 units. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Pittsburgh passed a parking garage ordinance after nine reported rapes in parking garages during a six month period in 1984 . As of July, 1987, only two additional attacks had occurred in Pittsburgh garages. The ordinance requires: o uniformed security officers, at a minimum, to patrol each area of the parking garage every 30 minutes. No one responsible for collecting money can conduct the patrol. The ordinance requires that patrol records be kept. o strategically located emergency phor�es or panic alarms on every parking level, "zoned to a central station which is staffed at all times. Directional arrows must indicate exits and elevators. o minimum lighting of five foot candles at a height of five feet. o parking garages of three or more floors to provide escort services to those customers that request it. Sources: The Parkina Lot and Garaae Security Handbook, Norman R. Bottom, Hanrow Press, Columbia, MD, 1988, pages 114-116; and the Business Licensina code for Pittsburgh, 1988 amendments, 763 . 04 page 30B. -11- . . ��—/�D� . . � , � , . � `• �crrY oF B�or�rcrorr� C0;IDZTIO\S OF THE FI3� AAID LIFE SAFETY COi•.C4ITTEE � 1) building(sj be totally sprinklered as approved 'oy the Fire Marshal; 2) exterior lighting and building security plans bz approved by the Crime Prevention Officer, Bloomington Polics Department; 3) fire lanes be posted as approved by the Fire Marshal; 4) handicapoec parking be provided with standard handicapped signs as approved by the Director of Planning; S) handicapped access be provided to the building(s).; 6) utility plan with e�cisting and proposed water m2ins and fire hydrants, be at locations as a�proved by the Fire Marshal and Utilities Enoineer; 7) traffic, circulation and parkin� plans be a�nroved by the Traffic Engineer; 8) enclosed �=ash facility(s) be provided in a designated area as � approved 'ov the Fire Marshal; 9) any standby fuel provisions be as approved by the Fire Marsaal; 10) street names be in conformance with the st�ndard street naming policy; 11) ter.�orary street signs and home addresses be provided during consi:ruction; 12) food service be as approved by the Environnen�21 Service Section, Building and Inspection Division; 13) handicapped toilet facilities be provided; 14) parkino structures be built in conformance with ooen parking garage standards; 15) further review by the FLSC orior to final site plans and building plans consideration; 16 -12- � � . , � , � , ��i�a� � � IES LIGHTING HAN0800K 14-24 ROADWAY LIGHTING t9Bt APPUCATbN VOLUME Fig. 14-18. Recommended Maintained Illuminances for Open and Covered Parking Facilities Open Parking Facilities For Vehicular Traffic For Pedestrian Safety For Pedestrian Security Level of Activity Footcan- Uniformity Footcan- Footcan- Uniformiry Lux' dles' Ratio Lux'' dles'• Lux• dles' Ratio Low activiry 5 0.5 4:1 . 2 0.2 9 0.8 5:1 � Medium activity 11 1 3:1 6 0.6 22 2 5:1 High activity 22 2 3:1 10 0.9 43 4 5:1 Covered Parking Facilifies Day Night Areas Lux••• Footcandles"' Lux' Footcandles' General parking and pedestrian areas 54 5 54 5 Ramps and corners 1 10 10 54 5 Entrance areas 540 50 54 5 Stairvvays and lobbys(refer to Fig. 2-2) • Average on pavement � •� Minimum on pavement Illtnninating Engineers Society Handbook, 1981. -13- . . � ��-iyd �" .. . ,: . Blue Ribbon Commission on Parking Ramp Safety Members Kip Lilly Mr. Tom Duffee Vice President of Community Development Downtown Council of Minneapolis Greater Minneapolis 12 So�ath 6th Street Chamber of Commerce 220 Plymouth Building 15 South 5th Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Mayor George Latimer Ms. Alice Rainville Room 347 President Minneapolis City Council City Hall and Courthouse 307 City Hall St. Paul, Minnesota 55102 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 Mr. William Booth Mayor pon Frazer Building Owner and Managers Association 127 City Hall 386 North Wabasha Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 St. Paul, Minnesota Councilman Jim Scheibel Commissioner Paul Tschida 716 City Hall Department of Public Safety St. Paul, Minnesota 55102 Room 211 Transportation Building St. Paul, Minnesota 55155 Ms. Karen Himle St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. 385 Washington Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55102 Commissioner Sandra Hale Department of Administration Room 200 Administration Building St. Paul, Minnesota 55155 Mr. Norman Coleman Office of the Attorney General Suite 200 525 Park Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55103 -14-