Illegal parking at Sacred Heart University is getting out of hand after the state banned private property owners from issuing parking citations for monetary sanctions.

Sacred Heart Executive Director of Public Safety Gary MacNamara says it's been a problem since the law took effect in October and is only getting worse.

"Once you have the inability to enforce parking, people park where they want," MacNamara says. "We have issues with public safety vehicles driving through there. And we have that chaotic scene where sidewalks are now blocked with vehicles."

Before the new law, MacNamara says the school's Public Safety Department would give tickets to students in violation and those students could appeal the tickets.

Now that enforcing proper parking is difficult, MacNamara says officials are "booting" cars instead.

School officials hope the boots curb the parking problem, but know it's just a temporary fix.

A bill that would change the language from "private property owners" to "private commercial property owners" is currently making its way through the legislature.