More than parking: showing the human side of Parking Safety & Compliance

Every weekday morning in Calgary looks the same: parents rushing to work, kids being dropped off at school, buses pulling in and traffic moving in every direction. It’s busy and stressful.

That’s where Raman Gill, a Parking & Investigations Supervisor with The City of Calgary, comes in.

Raman oversees a team of parking officers and leads the School Patrol program, which focuses on safe parking and movement around schools. For her, the work is personal.

“I have young kids too,” Raman says. “I understand why parents want to stop right at the front door but there are hundreds of other kids who need to be safe as well.”

A big part of her role is education — especially before enforcement.

Calgary is growing and many families are new to driving or new to the city. Parking rules aren’t the same everywhere and school zones can be overwhelming.

“We try to talk to people first,” Raman explains. “If we can explain why their behaviour is unsafe, most parents understand. Nobody wants a child to get hurt.”

That safety focus is what drives the School Patrol program. Parking Safety & Compliance Officers are there to watch sightlines, keep crosswalks clear and make sure sidewalks are usable — especially for kids, seniors and people with strollers or mobility devices.

“When someone blocks a crosswalk or sidewalk, it forces people into traffic,” Raman says. “That’s when parking becomes a safety issue, not just a rule.”

Beyond schools, Raman’s days include responding to residents, managing operations and riding along with officers in the field.

“I like being out there,” she says. “Sometimes Parking Safety & Compliance Officers just need support. Sometimes they need backup and sometimes they just need someone to listen.”

The job can be tough. Parking officers are often the face of frustration and not all interactions are positive. Raman prepares her team through communication training and regular check‑ins.

“You have to be resilient,” she says. “But you also have to remember why you’re there.”

There are moments that make it worthwhile — like officers helping someone in distress, reuniting a lost teen with their parent or getting a thank‑you note long after an incident.

“These things don’t make headlines,” Raman says. but they happen all the time.”

Her message to anyone interacting with a parking officer is simple: ask questions, take a moment to learn and remember there’s a person behind the uniform.

“We’re not here to make someone’s day worse,” she says. “We’re here to help keep people safe.”