‘It created havoc,’ says driver over abandoned cars left on his street – he needed 7 pieces of info to get them moved | 92I449I | 2024-04-29 12:08:01
'It created havoc,' says driver over abandoned cars left on his street – he needed 7 pieces of info to get them moved | 92I449I | 2024-04-29 12:08:01
POLICE are increasing efforts to remove abandoned cars after 10,000 complaints over four months flooded the department.
Not only are they unattractive, but they take up coveted parking spaces and present health hazards for residents.
Philidelphia, Pennsylvania's Police Neighborhood Services Unit started a week-long sweep to secure and tow abandoned vehicles in the 39th district.
Officers will be looking for vehicles with extreme body damage, flat tires, or missing identification and registration.
"We have ten officers here working grids," Police Neighborhood Services Unit Lt. Christopher Lantz told ABC affiliate WPVI-TV.
"They work line by line, investigating 311 complaints. And if it fits the criteria, they get it towed."
311 is the hotline for residents to use when reporting abandoned vehicles.
The Philidelphia Police Department reported that there have been over 10,000 calls to the hotline so far this year.
On average, there are about 800 calls per month about abandoned cars.
The department says that every call is investigated, but it takes time to ensure that the vehicle reported is truly abandoned.
Police also attempt to notify the owner that the vehicle will be towed by a certain date if the car isn't moved.
Harry Boyd, a long-time resident of the city, has made several calls to the hotline to report a handful of abandoned vehicles on his block.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> They were finally towed as part of the city's crackdown, but the vehicles made him uneasy.
"It created a havoc as far as the drug dealers, and people sleeping in there," he said.
"It takes a little while, but they're getting around to it and it's good to see the community accepting it."
Cora Pridgen is glad to see the abandoned vehicles taken care of, but is worried that enforcement will not increase – inspiring other cars to take their spot.
"If you're going to clean it up, come back and police it because somebody might bring another one," she said.
When reporting an abandoned car, police need this information about the vehicle:
- Exact address
- Condition
- Information on the steering column (broken, missing, or intact)
- Make and model
- Color
- Body style (pickup truck, SUV, sedan, van, bus, etc)
- License plate number and state
Philadelphia isn't the only American city cracking down on abandoned cars, as Oakland, California is struggling to handle the issue.
<p class="article__content--intro"> Reporting an abandoned vehicle is important for keeping city streets safe and clean </p> </div> </div> Over 11,000 requests have been sent to the Oakland Police Department between June 1 to November 30, 2023, reported SF Gate.
The city reported that it lacked the necessary resources to remove and store the cars, so thousands of cars continue to take up parking spaces and plague homeowners.
As of March, the city estimates 3,000 abandoned cars are parked on Oakland's streets.
"OakDOT is currently prioritizing the removal of vehicles that are stolen, hazardous, burned out, and stripped or otherwise significantly blighted," the city's website reads.
"Vehicles that do not fall into one of those categories will be tagged and towed, but this may take months."
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