The Missouri Attorney General’s office says it has launched an investigation into Missouri State University’s safety department for allegedly enforcing a parking ticket quota.
The AG’s office says whistleblowers contacted the state office with information it described as “credible,” saying MSU safety officers had allegedly been encouraged to meet quotas of parking tickets to increase funding for the university.
If true, that could be a violation of state law, which protects Missourians against taxation by citation.
"Missourians—especially students—shouldn’t be used solely as ATMs to drive revenue for public institutions,” Attorney General Eric Schmitt was quoted as saying in a press release sent out by his office late Thursday afternoon. The AG added in the release that his office looks forward to working with MSU to solve the issue "quickly and fairly."
In response, MSU issued an online statement saying the university "is cooperating fully with the attorney general’s office and will provide all materials requested during the investigation."
“As a university, we take great pride in providing a safe and fair environment for our students and visitors,” MSU president Clif Smart is quoted as saying in the university's online statement. “If the investigation finds that any of our practices violated the law, we will take all necessary actions to promptly correct the situation.”
KSMU is part of the Missouri State University community.