Trapped For Cash: Drivers Targeted By Windshield “Barnacle” In Parking Lot Shakedown | Crime Alert 1PM 12.04.25

A growing legal fight in Pennsylvania now centers on something called a barnacle: a windshield-blocking device that drivers say is being used to trap them for fast cash. Police in Virginia are now using an AI translator built into their body cameras, hoping to get around the language barrier with some residents. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime al Art hourly update, breaking crime news Now, I'm
Drew Nelson. A growing legal fight in Pennsylvania now centers
on a windshield blocking device that drivers say is being
used to trap them for fast cash. The controversy has
erupted in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood after multiple drivers reported
finding a yellow so called barnacle suction to their windshields

(00:22):
and a private lot at fourth in Spring Garden. The
device completely blocks visibility and requires on the spot payment
to remove, much like a boot. The fees often one
hundred dollars or more. According to WPVII, the devices remain
largely unregulated. Driver of Nick vi Alta says his car
was targeted immediately upon his running across the street to
the pharmacy.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Literally not even five minutes later. And I noticed the
what do they call it? Carbungle? Barnacle? Yeah? I noticed
the barnacle. Yeah, my windshield.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
The Alta paid one hundred dollars to have it removed.
He then watched as another driver pulled in moments later.
Workers removed barnacle from his car and immediately placed it
on a woman's tesla that had just parked Northern Liberty's
resident Jerry Erlick is among residents who believe the practice
is predatory. This is a private parking lot. I get
that there is a right way and a wrong way.

(01:14):
The right way is the call the police and have
them ticket the car.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
It then can also be towed.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
The controversy has spread beyond Philadelphia thanks to viral videos.
A TikTok of a woman who stopped for less than
a minute to pick up a cheese steak and returned
to find a barnacle on her windshield has now passed
one million views. She said she had been gone for
quote no more than forty five seconds. Commenters reported similar
charges ranging from one hundred to two hundred dollars at
the same lot. Online drivers have begun sharing folklore about

(01:43):
how to defeat barnacles without paying. Some claim blasting heat
from a defroster for fifteen minutes can loosen the suction.
Others suggest sliding a credit card under the edge or
prying the seal with a scraper. Safety experts warned that
tampering with the device could damage vehicles or lead to
criminal charge for driving with an obstructed windshield. The manufacturer
of the barnacle disputes those removal claims. The company says

(02:07):
the devices use industrial suction cups capable of more than
one thousand pounds of force. Drivers must stand a QR
code or a call A service number to remotely release
the vacuum. Barnacles are not limited to Philadelphia. Some municipalities
have tested them. Several universities have also adopted the devices.
Critics argue that private enforcement lacks the oversight, appeal protections,

(02:28):
and fee limits required of city agencies. The company placing
the barnacles in Northern Liberties is Bobs Sponges Parking Enforcement Services.
Its founder and chief executive Mckeena Harrison referred all questions
to her lawyer. Attorney Kevin Minsey confirmed the company as
contracted by the lot's owner and defended the practice to WPVII.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
We've all done that, but it doesn't mean that it's right,
and it doesn't mean that the people who alw these
private lots don't have rights.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Philadelphia police told the TV station that towing companies are
not authorized to immobilize vehicles and demand payment. Officers must
issue a citation before any toe or boot. More Crime
and Justice news After this, police in Virginia are now

(03:18):
using an AI translator built into their body cams, hoping
to get around the language barrier with some residents.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Central identified Spanish officer, I'm lost. I don't know where
I am.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
The Virginia Beach Police Department rolled out the new technology
this week. The tool is called Axon Translation. It's embedded
directly into officers' body worn cameras made by Axon, the
company that used to be known as Taser. Using Axon cameras,
the AI provides real time interpretation in more than fifty dialects.
Police say the system works with a single command. Officers

(03:54):
press and hold the button on the camera and speak
the target language. The software automatically detects what the person
is it translates that speech into English for the officer.
When the officer replies in English, the camera translates the
response back into the original language. Department leaders say the
goal is to shave crucial seconds off emergency response times.

(04:14):
Those seconds matter during lost child calls, medical emergencies, and
violent crime scenes. Master police officer John Helebinsky says the
tool keeps officers focused on the scene instead of reaching
for their phones or calling outside translators. He says it
allows him to stay engaged with the person in front
of him.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Someone approaches you that has a lost child, and you're
trying to figure out that dynamic. It's easier just to
turn on the body camera to get that bridge that
gap with that translation, so I can start streamlining information.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
City leaders point to Virginia Beach's tourism traffic as a
major factor in the rollout of the new technology. Thousands
of visitors arrive each summer, many speaking little to no English.
Officers now have instant access to translation without leaving the scene.
Chief Paul Newdigate states the department is using the technology
to increase trust and safety across diverse communities. He says

(05:06):
the goal is to make sure every resident and visitor
feels heard and protected. The department expects every officer to
be equipped with the tool before the end of the year.
For the latest crime and justice news, follow crime Alerts
hourly update on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert.
I'm Drew Nelson.