The new ordinance allows Milwaukee PD to tow cars from reckless drivers
Milwaukee is giving officers a new tool; the possibility of towing the vehicles of repeated reckless driving offenders who have not paid their previous tickets.
Milwaukee’s mayor signed a new ordinance Friday that allows police to tow the vehicles of repeat reckless drivers. The Milwaukee Police Department created a new Traffic Safety Unit two years ago to focus on reckless driving. On Friday, members were targeting Capitol Drive near 14th Street. But with 83 percent of reckless driving tickets going unpaid, according to MPD, the city is giving officers a new tool; the possibility of towing the vehicles of repeated reckless driving offenders who have not paid their previous tickets. “Car towing per se is not the goal here,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Friday. “The goal is to have compliance. The goal is to get people to follow the law, be respectful behind the wheel.” Otherwise, police can send the reckless driver’s car directly to the city tow truck. “Our main goal is to modify behavior,” he said. Milwaukee Police Assistant Steve Johnson.” So towing is the last option. So once we change that behavior, hopefully we won’t have to tow cars,” he said. Milwaukee police say it’s an important step in curbing reckless driving, but one alderman says it doesn’t go far enough. “Too many loopholes said Councilman Lamont Westmoreland. He said the ordinance is limited because it only allows towing cars that are not registered or registered to the driver. He said he wants police to have the ability to take any vehicle from a repeat offender , whether it’s hers or not.” If the vehicle is on grandma’s title, I know they want to protect grandma, they don’t want to upset grandma, but ‘sorry grandma, your vehicle has been impounded.’ Don’t let him use it or let him use it again,’” he said. Westmoreland is already working to strengthen the consequences of reckless driving even more than the new ordinance already does. “Reckless driving is crazy year-round, but it spikes in the summer. So we don’t have time to play with people’s lives here,” he said here. In addition to reckless driving citations, Violators will face a $105 towing fee, plus $20 per day for storage.In addition, all tickets must be paid before the vehicle is released to the owner.TOP STORIES Reports of shots fired on Wauwatosa Freeway 3-year-old boy taken to hospital by Flight for Life after being shot in Kenosha 17-year-old Milwaukee boy charged in connection with police shooting on Cinco de MayoWATCH: Video from a fifth grader playing a keyboard goes viral
Milwaukee’s mayor signed a new ordinance Friday that allows police to tow the vehicles of repeat reckless drivers.
The Milwaukee Police Department created a new Traffic Safety Unit two years ago to focus on reckless driving. On Friday, members were targeting Capitol Drive around 2 p.mth Street. But with 83% of reckless driving tickets going unpaid, according to MPD, the city is giving officers a new tool; the possibility of towing the vehicles of repeated reckless driving offenders who have not paid their previous tickets. “Car towing per se is not the goal here,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Friday. “The goal is to have compliance. The goal is for people to follow the law, be respectful behind the wheel.”
Otherwise, the police can send the reckless driver’s car straight to the city tow. “Our primary goal is to modify behavior,” said Milwaukee Police Assistant Superintendent Steve Johnson. “So towing is the last option. So once we modify that behavior, hopefully we won’t have to tow cars,” he said.
Milwaukee police say it’s an important step in curbing reckless driving, but one alderman says it doesn’t go far enough. “Too many loopholes,” said Councilman Lamont Westmoreland. He said the ordinance is limited because it only allows towing cars that are not registered or registered to the driver.
He said he wants police to have the ability to seize any vehicle from a repeat offender, whether it’s theirs or not. “If the vehicle is on grandma’s title, I know they want to protect grandma, they don’t want to upset grandma, but ‘sorry grandma, your vehicle has been impounded.'” Don’t let her use it or use again,’” he said.
Westmoreland is already working to strengthen the consequences of reckless driving even more than the new ordinance already does. “Reckless driving is crazy all year round, but it increases in summer. So we don’t have time to play with people’s lives here,” he said here.
In addition to reckless driving citations, violators will face a $105 towing fee, plus $20 per day for storage. In addition, all tickets must be paid before the vehicle is released to the owner.
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