NATCHEZ – Nearly 600 residents eligible to park in handicapped parking spaces will soon get letters from the Natchez Police Department, Chief Willie Huff said Friday.

The letters are an effort to inform handicapped people of the requirements necessary to park in a handicapped designated spot.

Just having a handicapped designated license tag is not enough, Huff said. The vehicles also need to have a handicapped placard displayed in the front windshield.

&uot;I’m trying to get (them) where they’ll understand the law because a lot of them are saying they don’t need (a placard) because they have a tag,&uot; Huff said. &uot;Well that’s not true.&uot;

The City of Natchez recently raised its fine for illegally parking in a handicapped parking space from $25 to $100.

People without the placards in their windshields can face the same penalty, Huff said.

That’s why he hopes these letters will help.

&uot;(This) way it gets them to thinking about it and to understand what the situation is,&uot; Huff said.