Suffolk sheriffs step up handicapped parking enforcement

Holiday shoppers, beware.

From now through New Year's Day, sheriffs will be beefing up enforcement of handicapped parking violations in Suffolk County, according to a release from the county sheriff's office.

Even if you pull into a spot designated for the handicapped for just five minutes, you can be slapped with a $230 fine if you're in a shopping center or strip mall, and $120 if you're on the street, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Violations "cause a particular hardship" in the holiday season, the release said.