Revised Ordinance In Gainesville, FL Allows Higher Rates for Police Towing

Here's an excerpt from the Gainesville Times story:

A recently revised ordinance allows wrecker companies to charge more than they have in the past when the police department calls them to the scene of an accident, to pick up an abandoned car or the vehicle of someone who has been arrested.

Gainesville police Capt. Chad White said the changes in the ordinance, passed by the Gainesville City Council last week, were long overdue.

"We’ve already had an ordinance in play, but it hasn’t been updated in many years," he said.

Both White and the owners of some of the wrecker companies the police department relies on to respond to its calls say fuel costs are one of the main reasons the changes were necessary.

Monday, diesel prices in Gainesville were as high as $4.29 a gallon, and the old ordinance did not allow for higher fuel costs or the extra work it takes to respond to city police calls, said Keith Chandler, co-owner of A-1 Towing and Wrecker Service.

Read the full story here.