Resident urges action after alleged illegal auto repairs in Crowley neighborhood

Gretchen Young told the Crowley City Council on June 7 that illegal auto repairs, loitering and related safety concerns have continued for years at a property near her home and that previous complaints have not stopped the activity.

The matter matters to surrounding residents because Young described vehicles parked on public and private lots, alleged leaking fluids, public urination and intimidation that she said threatens neighborhood safety. "I've taken pictures. We've taken videos," Young said, asking the council and staff for help.

Chief Troy Abare told Young that enforcement and prosecution require witnesses and encouraged her to attend the court date the city issued for code violations; he also said police would follow up and asked for her contact information to coordinate. Alderman Vernon Martin said Crowley has a nuisance law that gives enforcement authority and reported he had already made calls and pursued citations. Martin and other council members discussed sending a certified notice to the recorded property owner and said the landowner may be able to authorize towing of abandoned vehicles from private lots.

Council members and staff described immediate next steps rather than a new ordinance: have the city send a certified letter to the property owner, have the inspector place citations where appropriate, have the landowner or his agent arrange towing of abandoned vehicles, and ask the resident to appear in court as a witness. Chief Abare confirmed the police department needs a landowner's written request to remove vehicles on private property and said the department would keep the issue on its radar.

The council did not vote on a new ordinance or new funding at the meeting; members described coordination between the police department, the city inspector and the property owner as the path forward.