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Crackdown Begins For Chicago Motorists Without City Stickers

CHICAGO (CBS) – Do you have an updated city sticker? If not, hundreds of city investigators are now looking for you.

CBS 2's Jim Williams rode along Monday as authorities went on the hunt for scofflaws.

City investigators Jose Flores and Humberto Martinez drove into Humboldt Park and right away found cars without current vehicle stickers.

And so, after confirming the owners lived in Chicago, the two wrote lots of tickets. There's a $200 dollar fine for each violator -- a big increase over last year.

Flores and Martinez are among hundreds of city investigators fanning out across Chicago, now that the sticker deadline has passed.

"We'll go to every single ward, every single street and every single public parking garage, so there aren't a lot of place you can hide from us," Kristine Williams of the Chicago city clerk's office said.

Some drivers know they can't hide, so they make a plea -- even leaving notes on windshields.

One motorist left a message saying, "Have mercy," explaining the sticker was paid for but hadn't arrived by mail. It didn't matter.

Flores and Martinez are certainly aggressive, but insist they take no joy in writing so many tickets.

"Let's be honest -- no one likes us," Flores said. "We're not handing out coupons."

Violators still have to pay the original $85 for the sticker, plus a $60 dollar late fee on top of the $200 fine. Total damage: $345.

Bottom line, it's cheaper to just buy the sticker.

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