Chief Yates of the Quincy Police Department told the City Council the department is seeking authority to tow vehicles more broadly for crimes and some traffic offenses and to collect a $200 administrative fee when it does so. The presentation came during the ordinance’s second reading; no final adoption was recorded at the meeting.

"If you don't commit any crimes and you have a driver's license while you're driving your car, this ordinance means absolutely nothing to you," Chief Yates told the council, emphasizing the change targets people who use vehicles to commit offenses or who repeatedly drive without valid credentials.

Police said the list of offenses that could trigger a tow includes driving under the influence, possession or delivery of controlled substances (including methamphetamine), driving with a suspended or revoked license (or a license expired for more than one year), fleeing/attempting to elude, leaving the scene of a crash involving personal injury or property damage, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated or reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and other forcible felonies when the vehicle was used in the offense. Chief Yates said the ordinance is targeted to crimes in which the vehicle is used in the commission of an offense; he gave the example that an indoor shooting unrelated to a vehicle would not alone justify towing.

The proposed $200 administrative fee is intended to cover the department’s paperwork, certified letters and officer time; Chief Yates said the fee was set after calculating personnel and equipment costs and rounding to a whole-dollar amount. "We took it from 225 to 200 because we thought that was a nice round number," he said. Fees collected under the proposal would be deposited into the city general fund.

Officers would retain discretion to forego a tow in mitigating circumstances, and the police department plans not to enforce the new towing rules until March 1 to allow time for officer training, community education and administrative preparations. Chief Yates said the department will produce standard operating procedures, tow forms and outreach materials prior to that date.

Council members asked how unpaid fees would be handled; Chief Yates described the standard process: if an owner does not pay to retrieve a vehicle, the tow company may eventually pursue title or junk-sale procedures to recover fees. Council members discussed the county practice of impounds and raised questions about available impound lot space; Chief Yates said the county operates its own impound procedure but the city currently relies on third-party tow companies.

Deputy Chief Mike Tyler assisted the presentation and was cited as having helped research the ordinance. The council did not vote on the ordinance at the meeting; Chief Yates and department staff said they would continue outreach and training ahead of any final council action.