Virginia Beach Parking Services Becomes First in the Commonwealth to Achieve Accredited Parking Organization Certification

Virginia Beach Parking Management was recently named an Accredited Parking Organization (APO), becoming one of the first few in the nation and the very first in Virginia to do so.

APO is a designation for parking organizations that recognizes best practices in responsible parking management, customer service, professional development, safety and security. The International Parking Institute's (IPI) APO certification recognizes Virginia Beach Parking Management Office for leading the industry, exceeding industry standards and implementing progressive practices.

Over the 18-month process of earning accreditation, Virginia Beach Parking Management was evaluated on 270 separate criteria in 14 categories by third-party reviewers. The division was required to validate long-term planning initiatives, show evidence of consistent and acceptable financial performance, document that they are subject to routine audits, affirm that staff members participate in a proactive customer service training program, prove that they are responsive to customer-service feedback and demonstrate passive and active security measures in design and operation among other benchmarks.

It’s a rigorous process and only a small handful of municipal parking operations around the country have earned accreditation. Virginia Beach Parking Services’ successful certification demonstrates a commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.