SKOWHEGAN (AP) — Skowhegan’s police chief is promising a crackdown on people who use parking spots reserved for the disabled, even in private lots owned by stores.

Chief Ted Blais says he thought his department’s hands were tied when it came to citing motorists for parking in restricted zones in private lots such as those at Walmart and Hannaford supermarket.

But he told the Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/14DlFnQ ) he did some research and found provisions in state law and local ordinances that allow his officers to ticket cars in private store lots if he gets permission from store management.

He says he started looking into the matter when a driver with a disabled parking placard complained that a vehicle without a disabled placard had parked in a reserved spot at a convenience store.