Officer to Patrol DeHart Parking Garage

If you utilize the DeHart Street Parking Garage or garage at Ann and Bank streets after 5 p.m., your wallet is about to get $1 lighter. But, you may feel a little safer.

The Morristown Parking Authority at its Tuesday meeting agreed to raise the flat fee for parking in two of their parking decks, DeHart Street and Ann-Bank, by $1 after 5 p.m. They also agreed to eliminate the second tier, which was $2 after 7 p.m. That means all parking after 5 p.m. will cost the flat rate of $4.

In addition, MPA Executive Director George Fiore said a police officer was going to be hired soon to patrol the DeHart Street Garage at certain times. This, he said, was in response to .

"Not that we have any issues at all," he said. "But, I like to be able to sleep at night. I think it's the prudent thing to do."

Fiore said the fee hike was the first of any increases in about a year-and-a-half, and it's still less expensive than a $5 flat fee in place a few years ago. "We felt it was a good compromise," he said.

Both initiatives are expected to begin within a few weeks, Fiore said. "We're fully intended to put a police officer in the garage. We thought that would make everyone feel good," he said.

Correction: A previous version stated police would patrol the Ann-Bank garage. The patrol was only slated to patrol the DeHart Street Garage.