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Shorewood board adopts ordinance allowing police to impound vehicles used in reckless driving
Summary
The Shorewood Village Board voted 6-0 to adopt Ordinance 30-77, authorizing police to impound vehicles involved in reckless driving under state statute; trustees probed discretion, public education and standard operating procedures; a resident urged safeguards to protect vehicle owners’ due-process rights.
The Shorewood Village Board voted to adopt Ordinance 30-77, allowing the police department to impound vehicles used in the commission of reckless driving, the board said during its hybrid meeting called to order at 7:31 p.m. The motion passed on a roll-call vote of 6-0.
Why it matters: The measure gives Shorewood police an additional enforcement tool for serious driving offenses defined under Wisconsin statute 346.62, and trustees said it aims to reduce dangerous driving behaviors in the village while relying on existing statutory procedures for towing, storage and forfeitures.
Trustees and staff discussion centered on when the tool would be used and how the village would avoid uneven application. Trustee questions focused on what level of conduct constitutes reckless driving, the fines and storage charges owners must pay to recover vehicles, and whether the department would apply the power consistently.
“I'd like to see if we noticed a lot of this happening,” one trustee said, framing the impoundment authority as a discretionary tool that should be applied equitably. The board’s presiding officer and other trustees emphasized that reckless driving citations are rare in Shorewood and typically tied to pursuits or stolen vehicles.
Public comment and legal context: Resident Sandy Pendleton of 3529 North Frederick Avenue supported the ordinance but urged the board to adopt written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for towing and impound decisions, warning that impoundment happens before a driver’s adjudication in court and can impose significant towing and storage costs. Pendleton said the statutory definition of reckless driving (cited in the transcript as 346.62) is broad and recommended the public-safety committee review SOPs.
The police chief (name not given in the record) responded that the department already maintains SOPs governing towing and that the policies would be applied with equitable standards. The chief said the department derives many policies from Lexipol and will follow best practices, and that adoption of the ordinance would be accompanied by public education about the new tool. Attorney Bier added that state law already sets many procedural protections—how to get a vehicle back, appeals, and exceptions for stolen vehicles—and that the ordinance expands which vehicles may be impounded, not the post-impound processes.
Vote and next steps: The ordinance was moved by Trustee Ersing and seconded by Trustee Kudo and carried on a roll-call vote: Trustee Arndofer (aye), Trustee McGovern (aye), Trustee Kudo (yes), Trustee Ersink (aye), President McKay (aye), Trustee Warren (aye). The chief said administrative steps remain (a towing company form to ensure payment before release, and required publication) and anticipated the ordinance would be implemented after the first of the year.
The board closed deliberations after public comment and proceeded to other business.
