A two hour parking limit crackdown was imposed in the Crown Point Square on September 8, 2025. The regions of the downtown area affected include the square itself, two municipal parking lots, and the Crown Point library. This law is in effect from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on business days.

According to Katiko Creative freelancer Tony Sorci, this is not the first time Crown Point has attempted to enforce this law. “This isn’t anything new,” Sorci said. “They already have a Two-hour limit, but have struggled to enforce it. It seems they found a better solution to do so.”

The difference between then and now is not the law itself, but the methods in which officers use to detect parking violations. Officers will now begin to use a handheld device which uses a camera, a GPS, and a license plate reader to determine how long a car has been parked.

For Emma Jacobs, a barista at Sip Coffee House, parking in the square has always been a challenge. “There is very limited parking, and it’s hard to get to afternoon shifts,” Jacobs said. “I wasn’t really surprised that they’re enforcing it, since the square has such heavy traffic.”

Some areas around the square, such as parking at Wheeler Middle School, the south side of Bulldog Park, and a parking lot located along West Street are available for free, all day parking. Although this is the case, Sorci still believes that more work can be done to provide for people who would like to park in a closer proximity to their destination for longer than two hours. “I think CP needs to explore long-term parking solutions,” Sorci said. “We need to look to cities like Valpo who have added a parking garage in addition to the municipal lots. If you want to keep adding shopping, dining, and events, this is only a band-aid at best.”

Now that officers are keeping a closer watch on how long people park in areas around the square, shoppers and employees alike must now exercise a bit more caution as to how long they will be parked in areas that are under supervision.