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Officials handed out 172 tickets for fraudulently using disabled parking placards during the Coachella and Stagecoach concerts in Indio last month, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

The crackdown took place at the Empire Polo Club, which hosted the popular Coachella Music and Arts Festival on the weekends of April 12 through April 14, during which 44 tickets were issued; and April 19 through April 21, when 50 citations were handed out, DMV officials said in a written statement.

Officials returned the following weekend, April 26 through April 28, during the Stagecoach concert, officials said. Officers issued 78 citations for improper use of disabled parking placards during the event.

The operation marked the third year in a row officials have carried out similar crackdowns during the concerts.

Nearly 2,500 parking placards were found to have been properly used, officials added.
Those cited face fines ranging from $250 to $1,000, as well as blemished on their driving records.

“It’s against the law to fraudulently use a disabled person parking placard and we will continue our enforcement efforts until people understand how their illegal actions are impeding the mobility of those with disabilities,” DMV Investigations Chief Tom Wilson said. “I’m asking every Californian to save the space.”