LAPD Ends Moratorium on Impounding Vehicles of Undocumented Immigrants

On August 29, we reported that the Los Angeles Police Department had announced that it would no longer impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers.  Well, the LAPD has revised its policy. The L.A. Times reports that the Department will end its moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed drivers today.  Police Chief William J. Bratton had said last week that the moratorium would remain in effect until next Tuesday, when he would ask for minor changes to the department’s policy relating to the ability of officers to impound vehicles for 30 days, as state law allows. But the chief said that after reviewing the issue, he determined that the minor “clarifications” he wanted did not amount to a policy change and that he could order the impounds to resume immediately.

A lawyer who sued Los Angeles and several other cities in federal court last March over their towing practices said she would seek an injunction to curtail the impounds.

By not taking the issue to the Police Commission, Bratton avoided a potential City Council review of the commission’s vote on the policy. Such a review could have unleashed a battle at City Hall over what has long been a political hot-button issue, because many unlicensed drivers are undocumented immigrants who cannot get driver’s licenses.

KJ