Parking violators? Denver gives ‘em the boot

Many other cities use a vehicle wheel immobilization device but the concept originated in Denver and is universally known as the Denver Boot.

It is a clamp that can immobilize a car without damage to the vehicle. It is locked to the wheel of a parked vehicle to keep it from being driven.

The boot is used mainly to force settlement of outstanding traffic and parking violations. It is also sold for private use to prevent vehicle theft.

Frank Marugg invented the Denver boot in 1953. Marugg was a musician as well as a pattern maker and inventor. He was a member of the Denver Symphony Orchestra where he played a violin, which he made himself.

Marugg was a friend to many politicians and police department officials in Denver. The Denver Sheriff's Department came to him to ask for help with their parking enforcement problem.

To help solve the Sheriff’s enforcement problem, Marugg built a device to immobilize vehicles whose owners hadn’t paid their outstanding parking tickets.

The Marugg family manufactured the boot until the late 1980's when the company was sold to Clancy Systems International of Denver, Colorado.

Other companies make similar vehicle immobilization devices but all use variations of Frank's design and most are called the Denver boot.

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