Calgary college on alert for fake parking passes

Officials at Mount Royal College in Calgary are watching for counterfeit parking passes on campus, after an offer to create fake passes appeared on an online message board.

The college's 2,300 parking passes for the fall semester sold out in early July.

Earlier this week, someone used an online forum about driving in Calgary to solicit Mount Royal parking pass holders to email images of their pass, in order to make copies.

"It's unfortunate," said Stefan Durston, head of the college's parking department.

"Students that are caught with [counterfeit passes] will be brought up on non-academic misconduct charges. The Calgary Police Service will be notified and the vehicle will likely be towed from the campus. We do consider it an act of fraud," Durston said.

Over the last few years, about 40 students have been caught trying to pull off similar schemes, said Bill Spring, the head of college security.

"Before it was for profit, and now it's because there's less and less parking spaces," he said.  "But we will definitely catch them all."

It's an indication that the college doesn't have enough parking, said student Amira Adris, one of many students unable to secure a pass.

Mount Royal College has about 12,000 students.  It is building a new parkade to accommodate another 1,200 vehicles, but it won't be completed for two years.