Topeka staff propose letting property‑maintenance inspectors cite abandoned cars to speed removal

Topeka — City staff asked the Public Health and Safety Committee on Sept. 17 to expand an ordinance so Property Maintenance Unit inspectors can issue citations for abandoned or illegally parked vehicles on public roadways while conducting their regular inspections.

Commander Colleen Stewart of the Police Department’s support bureau, who oversees property maintenance, told the committee that assigning these cases to PMU inspectors would improve continuity and tracking because those inspectors work in a consistent geographic area and “know what cars they've already addressed and when they need to come back”. She said the change would let PMU inspectors "write the citation themselves, call for the tow truck, and take the vehicle out of the area without having to call in a patrol officer".

Stewart noted the scale of…