§ 86-91. Authority of police.

(a)

In an emergency situation, employees of the police department are authorized to remove by towing a vehicle, as described in section 34-101, from the city streets and other public ways to a place of safety for impoundment. An emergency shall be deemed to exist if the safety of persons and property, including the vehicle itself, is threatened. The following situations, not to the exclusion of all others, shall be deemed emergency situations:

(1)

The vehicle has been involved in an accident and the driver is injured or has been taken into custody and has not arranged to have the vehicle removed.

(2)

The vehicle has been parked or is disabled in a location so as to obstruct traffic, jeopardize traffic safety or constitute an unsafe condition.

(3)

The vehicle has been left parked in the public right-of-way and has been abandoned or is in a disabled, wrecked, junked or partially dismantled condition for more than 24 continuous hours.

(4)

The vehicle is found with its license plate missing and its vehicle identification number obscured.

(5)

The vehicle is found being operated and is not in proper and safe running condition, thereby constituting a present danger to the public.

(6)

The vehicle has been immobilized pursuant to section 86-286 and the immobilization device has not been removed by 5:00 p.m. on the day of immobilization.

(b)

Employees of the police department are authorized to remove by towing to a place of impoundment any vehicle, as described in section 34-101, parked on city streets and other public ways in a marked tow-away zone or during marked tow-away zone hours. The police department, by and through the city, may contract with a towing firm for the towing of vehicles parked on city streets and other public ways in a marked tow-away zone or during marked tow-away zone hours.

(Code 1979, § 19-101; Ord. No. 4533-14, § 1, 10-14-2014)