Patrol assigned area, such as public parking lot or city streets to issue tickets to overtime parking violators and illegally parked vehicles.
U.S. Workers
7,770
Median Salary
$47,150
10-Year Growth
-1.5%
Annual Openings
700
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
22 of 23 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Enter and retrieve information pertaining to vehicle registration, identification, and status, using hand-held computers.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated license‑plate recognition, integrated databases, and mobile software can fully enter and retrieve vehicle registration and status information without human manual entry.
Write warnings and citations for illegally parked vehicles.
AI: Fully automatable - Issuing warnings and citations can be fully automated using LPR, geofencing, and integrated citation systems to generate and transmit notices.
Observe and report hazardous conditions, such as missing traffic signals or signs, and street markings that need to be repainted.
AI: Fully automatable - Computer vision models deployed on vehicles, drones, or fixed cameras can reliably detect missing signals/signs and deteriorated markings and automatically file reports into maintenance systems.
Identify vehicles in violation of parking codes, checking with dispatchers when necessary to confirm identities or to determine whether vehicles need to be booted or towed.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated license‑plate recognition, rule engines, and database checks can identify parking violations and determine boot/tow eligibility, with automated dispatcher queries when needed.
Mark tires of parked vehicles with chalk and record time of marking, and return at regular intervals to ensure that parking time limits are not exceeded.
AI: Fully automatable - Camera systems with license-plate recognition and timestamped imagery already replace chalking workflows and can fully automate time-limit enforcement.
Make arrangements for illegally parked or abandoned vehicles to be towed, and direct tow-truck drivers to the correct vehicles.
AI: Fully automatable - Coordinating tow requests and providing precise locations and directions can be fully automated through integrated dispatch systems, GPS, and automated notifications to tow operators.
Provide information to the public regarding parking regulations and facilities, and the location of streets, buildings and points of interest.
AI: Fully automatable - Providing public information about regulations, facilities, and directions is readily automatable via chatbots, voice assistants, and mapping services with high accuracy.
Prepare and maintain required records, including logs of parking enforcement activities, and records of contested citations.
AI: Fully automatable - Recordkeeping and log maintenance can be fully automated by digital systems that capture enforcement events, citations, and appeals into databases and workflows.
Patrol an assigned area by vehicle or on foot to ensure public compliance with existing parking ordinance.
AI: Partial - Autonomous vehicles and drones can perform much of the monitoring for parking compliance, but gaps in coverage, complex situational assessment, and enforcement actions still require human involvement.
Maintain assigned equipment and supplies, such as hand-held citation computers, citation books, rain gear, tire-marking chalk, and street cones.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule, track inventory, and guide diagnostics for equipment, but physical cleaning, repairs, and resupplying personal gear still require human action.
Respond to and make radio dispatch calls regarding parking violations and complaints.
AI: Partial - Automated dispatch and voice systems can handle many routine parking complaints and dispatches, yet nuanced judgment, live coordination, and emergency exceptions typically need human dispatchers.
Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
AI: Partial - AI systems can automate and mediate real‑time messaging (voice/text) and assist in communications, but maintaining close, situational radio coordination in the field still typically requires human judgment and hardware integration.
Perform simple vehicle maintenance procedures, such as checking oil and gas, and report mechanical problems to supervisors.
AI: Partial - AI can read vehicle telematics and schedule or report maintenance, but physically checking oil/fuel and performing hands‑on minor maintenance remains a manual task absent widespread field robotics.
Train new or temporary staff.
AI: Partial - AI can deliver training content, simulations, and assessments, but hands‑on mentorship, real‑world shadowing, and adaptive field coaching are not yet fully replaceable by AI.
Locate lost, stolen, and counterfeit parking permits, and take necessary enforcement action.
AI: Partial - AI can detect counterfeit permits and cross-check databases for stolen permits and flag cases, but physically locating lost items and executing enforcement actions still requires human investigation and legal authority.
Investigate and answer complaints regarding contested parking citations, determining their validity and routing them appropriately.
AI: Partial - AI can aggregate evidence, evaluate citations against regulations, and triage routine disputes, but nuanced investigations and final adjudication often require human oversight and judgement.
Collect coins deposited in meters.
AI: Partial - Route optimization and scheduling can be fully automated, but the physical collection of coins from meters remains dependent on human crews or specialized hardware not universally deployed.
Wind parking meter clocks.
AI: Partial - AI can eliminate the need to wind meters by managing electronic replacements and schedules, but it cannot physically wind existing mechanical meters in most deployments as of 2025.
Provide assistance to motorists needing help with problems, such as flat tires, keys locked in cars, or dead batteries.
AI: Partial - AI can provide diagnostics, remote guidance, and dispatch assistance, but performing hands-on tasks like changing a tire or jump-starting a battery requires human responders or robots not widely available.
Assign and review the work of subordinates.
AI: Partial - AI can assign tasks, track performance, and provide review drafts, but nuanced managerial judgment, accountability, and personnel decisions still require human oversight.
Perform traffic control duties such as setting up barricades and temporary signs, placing bags on parking meters to limit their use, or directing traffic.
AI: Partial - AI can plan, coordinate, and instruct traffic control tasks, but the physical setup and real‑time human judgement for directing traffic and placing equipment remain largely manual without widespread robotic adoption.
Remove handbills within patrol areas.
AI: Partial - Computer vision can detect handbills and direct crews or robots to remove them, yet the physical removal action is still typically performed by humans or niche robotic systems.
Appear in court at hearings regarding contested traffic citations.
AI: Not automatable - Appearing in court requires sworn testimony, legal standing, and discretionary advocacy that AI cannot presently provide in place of a human officer.