DeKALB — The DeKalb Police Department hosted citizens concerned about the implementation of phases three and four of the Safe Streets Initiative Thursday at the DeKalb Police Department Community Room.

Phase three will prohibit parking west of Annie Glidden Road from 2-6 a.m., and phase four will expand parking restrictions to the east of Annie Glidden Road. Phase four will also establish residential parking areas for those who live in apartment buildings lacking adequate parking.

DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery said phase three of the four-phase Safe Streets Initiative plan will be reviewed and passed at either the May 7 or May 21 City Council meeting.

The first two phases of the Safe Streets Initiative have already been implemented. Phase one, implemented in December 2017, prohibits on-street parking without a special permit in the area of Russell Road and Crane Drive from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with no legal parking available on the north side of Crane Drive.

“The first phase of the parking ordinances are already in gear along Crane and Russell, and we’re already starting to see some positive things with lower call rations compared to last year,” Lowery said. “But it’s still way too early to tell its effect.”

Phase two, passed March 28, expands the restrictions in the College Avenue and John Street area.

“[The parking restrictions] have been before the [city] council six times,” Lowery said. “Because of community input, this has evolved. Your input is valuable.”

Lowery said once the parking restrictions are implemented, the police department is going to create safe routes in these areas for pedestrians traversing the neighborhoods at night.

“[Landlords] are not trying to stop any of this,” said Darrell Tribble, an instructional technology graduate student. “Instead of trying to punish the people living in the building, let’s punish the people who own the buildings.”

Lowery said a process is already in place to ensure landlords compliance with ordinances, but police officials need to make sure property owners are following procedure.

Apartment buildings are required to have 1 1/2 parking spots per resident, with the half spot allowing for guests to park, according to the Unified Development Ordinance. However, these spots require a parking pass, which can have a variable cost depending on the landlord.

Student Association senator Ashley Burkhardt asked Lowery if an extension of the grace period to the first few weeks of the fall semester was possible, as it would allow students to orientate themselves to the changes.

Lowery said he was not in favor of extending the grace period as this would require the police department to begin enforcement only to have to roll back enforcement weeks later.

“The timing right now is really bad,” said Katie Stoddard, 51, of DeKalb. “My concern is for the students as well as the people in the neighborhood. This affects [NIU’s] retention and recruitment.”

Stoddard said the issue is not the money to purchase a parking pass or a guest pass, but the ticket, towing and impound fees.

“Students can barely afford tuition, let alone the fee to get their car out of the impound,” Stoddard said. “If I’m a parent who spent all my money for my kid to go to school here and [their car] gets towed, of course I’ll be mad at my kid. But [towing] is still too much.”