Resident calls for vote on towing ordinance
By Ed McMenamin
Pekin Daily Times
Tue Jul 28, 2009, 05:00 PM CDT
PEKIN, Ill. -
The city's controversial towing ordinance continued to be a matter of discussion before the Pekin City Council at Monday night's meeting, when resident Jim Mangan requested that the ordinance be included as a referendum item on the February 2010 election ballot and that the council then follow the will of the voters.
"The Pekin Police Department has always had all the laws necessary to stop vehicles they suspected of all the violations they are stopping them for now," he said responding to comments from past meetings. "The only thing this ordinance changed was automatically increasing city revenues by fining over $500 for the alleged charge. Stating or believing that not having this ordinance guts the police department's abilities to do their jobs is absolutely false."
Called "Seizure and Impounding of Vehicles," the ordinance establishes a $500 fine - in addition to any towing bills or storage fees charged by the impound yard - when anyone in a vehicle is arrested for possession or delivery of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, DUI, driving on a revoked or suspended license, or unlawful use of a weapon.
The ordinance was amended two weeks ago to protect individuals whose cars are towed because of a rare error by the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Council members Tom Blanchard and Chad Schmidgall voted against the change, saying it did not address more significant changes they requested.
In past meetings, Mayor Rusty Dunn and other council members stated that amending any other sections of the ordinance would remove its "teeth" or hamper the police department's ability to do its job.
At the July 13 meeting, Interim Police Chief Ted Miller said that the ordinance provides another deterrent against drunken driving and driving without a license, the two offenses that most often trigger towing. He also presented council with a list of departmental procedures used by officers to allow discretion.
"When the officer himself has a concern whether or not the ordinance fits the spirit of the law, he or she would call over a supervisor," he said. "Then they would go over again ... whether the owner or the interest holder of the vehicle is legally accountable for the conduct given rise to the impoundment ..."
Contact Ed McMenamin at emcmenamin@pekintimes.com.
http://www.pekintimes.com/news/x1543605652/Resident-calls-for-vote-on-towing-ordinance
By Ed McMenamin
Pekin Daily Times
Tue Jul 28, 2009, 05:00 PM CDT
PEKIN, Ill. -
The city's controversial towing ordinance continued to be a matter of discussion before the Pekin City Council at Monday night's meeting, when resident Jim Mangan requested that the ordinance be included as a referendum item on the February 2010 election ballot and that the council then follow the will of the voters.
"The Pekin Police Department has always had all the laws necessary to stop vehicles they suspected of all the violations they are stopping them for now," he said responding to comments from past meetings. "The only thing this ordinance changed was automatically increasing city revenues by fining over $500 for the alleged charge. Stating or believing that not having this ordinance guts the police department's abilities to do their jobs is absolutely false."
Called "Seizure and Impounding of Vehicles," the ordinance establishes a $500 fine - in addition to any towing bills or storage fees charged by the impound yard - when anyone in a vehicle is arrested for possession or delivery of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, DUI, driving on a revoked or suspended license, or unlawful use of a weapon.
The ordinance was amended two weeks ago to protect individuals whose cars are towed because of a rare error by the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Council members Tom Blanchard and Chad Schmidgall voted against the change, saying it did not address more significant changes they requested.
In past meetings, Mayor Rusty Dunn and other council members stated that amending any other sections of the ordinance would remove its "teeth" or hamper the police department's ability to do its job.
At the July 13 meeting, Interim Police Chief Ted Miller said that the ordinance provides another deterrent against drunken driving and driving without a license, the two offenses that most often trigger towing. He also presented council with a list of departmental procedures used by officers to allow discretion.
"When the officer himself has a concern whether or not the ordinance fits the spirit of the law, he or she would call over a supervisor," he said. "Then they would go over again ... whether the owner or the interest holder of the vehicle is legally accountable for the conduct given rise to the impoundment ..."
Contact Ed McMenamin at emcmenamin@pekintimes.com.
http://www.pekintimes.com/news/x1543605652/Resident-calls-for-vote-on-towing-ordinance
