NATCHEZ — The issue of handicapped parking abuse recently resurfaced after a photograph shared on social media showed a truck double-parked in two handicapped spots at a Natchez business.

The Sept. 16 post by Natchez resident Heather Martin Anderson shows a Live Oak Construction pickup truck occupying two adjoining, clearly labeled spaces. The caption reads, “Now, this is pathetic. I wasn’t the only handicap (sic) person that had to walk across the parking lot.”

Anderson said she had no comment other than she believes the photos speak for themselves.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell — a strong proponent of enforcing handicapped parking laws — said he had not seen the post as of last Wednesday, but he called for strict enforcement against any offenders.

“I am strongly against anyone parking in a handicapped slot unless they are handicapped,” Grennell said. “I think these vehicles … they should not only be ticketed, but possibly be towed away.

“I’m not sure if we have that authority (with private businesses), but if they are parked in a handicapped slot on a city street, I think they should be towed. Not only towed, but ticketed.”

Earlier this year, Grennell suspended a city employee 20 days without pay after pictures surfaced of a city-owned vehicle illegally parked in a handicapped space.

The owner of the truck captured in Anderson’s Facebook post is Live Oak owner Dick Thompson.

“I parked in that parking spot for about 30 minutes,” Thompson said. “There was another handicapped spot available.”

The 73-year-old said he “inadvertently” parked where he did in front of the Natchez Market off John R. Junkin Drive and acknowledged he should not have parked there.

“That certainly makes me more aware the next time I park,” Thompson said.

Thompson also said he gives “tons of money” to handicapped charities.

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said officers must exercise caution when enforcing handicapped parking.

Though abusing handicapped parking by using someone else’s placard can lead to at least a $200 fine, Armstrong said making that determination is often difficult.

“There is … a misnomer that people that are parked in handicapped parking spaces, even with the decal and placard, just because they are walking without aid that they shouldn’t be parked in a handicapped parking space,” Armstrong said.

“We can only issue tickets to persons parked in handicapped parking spaces that may not have a proper decal or placard, not how they may be walking.”

But Armstrong said his department has been and will continue issuing tickets for vehicles parked in disabled parking spaces without a legitimate permit.

“I think it’s a shame and disgrace that a person who shouldn’t be parked in a handicapped parking space would take that parking space and abuse it when there may be others having to park farther away that deserve to have that handicapped parking space,” Armstrong said.

“There’s no doubt there are times where the handicapped person is not inside the vehicle that may display those placards, but that’s a situation that, unfortunately, is beyond our control because we can’t delve too far into their personal lives and personal space.”

An officer can cite a first offender $25 for illegally parking in a handicapped parking space.

But Eric Villers, head manager of the Natchez Mall Theater, said he thinks the threat of punishment is not strong enough.

“That’s why a lot of tickets go unpaid and why a lot of people don’t really care,” Villers said.

Villers met with Grennell about a year ago about handicapped parking concerns at the theater, but Villers said the problem persists to this day.

“The biggest problem is we have a lot of senior citizens that have to park away from the box office and walk across the parking lot,” Villers said.

Villers even said he has approached groups of young adults before when he saw them park using a handicapped placard.

“They’ll say it’s their grandma’s,” Villers said. “And I’ll say, ‘Okay, well, where’s your grandma?”

But Villers, who said he himself is disabled, believes the handicapped parking issue is not limited to his theater.

“It’s a problem at every location around Natchez — period,” Villers said.