CSUN Parking and Transportation Services will change from civilian control to police-run management by the end of the year.

The new management comes after the current Associate Director of Parking and Transportation Services James Parlor announced his retirement at the end of 2004, according to Anne Glavin, chief of police and director of the Department of Public Safety.

“It is not unusual to have the parking (department) be run by police,” Glavin said. “To run under a police model only means that a police officer is in charge of parking, not a civilian.”

Soon after Parlor notified Glavin of his retirement, she said she then decided to promote then-Lt. Fred Fernandez of police operation to the position.

“Fernandez is very community oriented,” Glavin said. “He is very articulate and already knows a lot of people in the community.”

Parlor, who is retiring later this year at the age of 64, said he would not have a problem passing along on his duties to now-Capt. Fernandez.

“I have the maximum confidence in him,” Parlor said. “We’ve been working together and I trust he’ll do a good job.”

Fernandez has been a university police officer for 14 years. Fernandez said he looks forward to improving the way information about Parking and Transportation Services is provided to students.

“We want to get the word out on what we do,” Fernandez said. “We want to be as user-friendly as possible. We don’t just write citations. We do much more than that, and I want people to know.”

To get information out to students regarding Parking Services, Fernandez said he hopes to get LED signs set up so students could find out what changes will happen.

Fernandez said he is also working on improving the way parking passes are obtained, such as having one-day parking pass machines accept ATM/Debit cards. He said he is also committed to expanding the transportation service on campus, such as increasing the number of trams that transport students across campus.

“My goal is to be more service oriented for the community,” Fernandez said.

The division also helps in the design of new parking structures or lots. Fernandez also said some of the responsibilities he would take on include managing citations, budgets, parking spaces, and transportation.

“He’s got a lot of responsibility,” Parlor said. “It is almost like running a business here.”

Fernandez said the transition would not be difficult because Parlor is mentoring him and helping with the transition.

“We are so lucky to have them working together,” Glavin said. “Not many universities are lucky enough to have their current and future directors of parking working alongside so one can help the other.”

Parlor first came to CSUN in November 2000 and helped expand the university’s parking services. Parlor said there are now about 40 employees in personnel working with Parking and Transportation Services, compared with 19 when he first arrived. Parlor was also involved in the planning of the B3 and B5 parking structures.

Oscar Areliz can be reached at oscar.areliz@csun.edu.