This afternoon a loyal DCist reader sent us along a complaint, and some pictures to boot. Apparently police officers at a First District substation on Capitol Hill have a tendency to ignore the very parking rules District residents are forced, by fear of ticket, to follow. He writes:

A typical day at the First District Substation. Their jobs are so important, they can park their private cars anywhere they darn well please. Think about that for a moment: So, nobody else’s job is important? Nobody else has trouble parking? Georgetown Hospital parking is a bitch, but I don’t see doctors’ cars blocking Reservoir Road. No, the only reason the cops don’t have to obey the parking laws is that they’re the ones who write the tickets.

Well, technically it’s the Department of Public Works that send out the hated meter maids and parking enforcers, but the point still stands. Should police officers be allowed to violate city parking regulations? Can residents hand out tickets of their own, a vehicular citizen’s arrest if you will? Where can one buy a boot these days?