Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Newark council adopts ordinance to speed release of vehicles not tied to crimes; measure not retroactive
Summary
After public comment from residents whose family members had vehicles held after crimes, council clarified the ordinance will not be retroactive and sent instructions to police for notification and contract language with tow firms; council adopted the measure with one abstention.
The Newark Municipal Council on April 1 adopted an ordinance amending records and release procedures to allow owners of vehicles not implicated in criminal activity to be notified and to recover their vehicles more quickly.
At a public hearing, speakers pressed whether the change would apply retroactively. Khalif Muhammad described a relative who had been waiting months to recover a car that police had towed after the relative was a shooting victim and asked if the ordinance would help. "Is this retroactive? Because she still haven't got her car out," Muhammad said.
Councilman Council responded that the ordinance will not be retroactive but aims to address situations where a vehicle was present at a crime scene but the owner was not involved. Corporation counsel and a police division representative explained that the ordinance as written limits release to the recorded owner under New Jersey Motor Vehicle registration and requires police to contact owners to establish noninvolvement before vehicle release. The police representative said the language would also instruct towing vendors and be integrated into future RFPs for towing contracts.
During roll call the council adopted the ordinance; the vote record shows an abstention by Councilman Ramos. The council president said the administration will forward the police division's written feedback and that the matter may be brought back for future amendment to address contract and implementation details.
Next steps: administration to share the police division's written feedback with council and to coordinate contract language with towing vendors so notification and release procedures are operational.
