Buffalo sets forth new tow truck law

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The City of Buffalo is implementing a new nine-point law, aimed at stopping the "turf wars" between towing companies.

These reforms are effective Saturday, May 19. They come partially in response to the broad-daylight murder of tow truck driver Corddaryl Henley .

Mayor Byron Brown introduced the new towing procedures during a press conference with Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda and Parking Commissioner Kevin Helfer, Friday afternoon.

"We believe the reforms that we're announcing today will add clarity and order to the process of towing at accident scenes in the City of Buffalo," Brown declared, "curbing the alleged practice of tow truck operators racing to the scene of accidents to solicit business in an unruly manner."

The nine points of Buffalo's new tow truck law are:

1) The Parking Department will create and maintain an "authorized tower list." Only authorized towers can respond to accident scenes in the city.

2) There will be a weekly rotation for authorized towers. One company will be "on-call" for a week; that company will respond to all calls. The next week, the next company comes up "on-call."

3) Only one towing company will be allowed on the scene of an accident.

4) The Parking Department will respond to every accident scene along with police. It will be the parking employees' job to help clear the scene, and to "log-in" the authorized tower. This is something that has never been done in Buffalo before.

5) All vehicles towed in the city will be taken to the garage located at 166 Dart Street.

6) Motorists can still call AAA or the towing company of their choice, as long as the vehicle is not blocking the flow of traffic (ie: a lane or intersection).

7) The city will set uniform costs for towing, so individual companies can't jack up the price and charge what the Mayor calls "exorbitant" sums. Standard tows will cost $80; flat-bed tows will cost $90; and storage fees for all vehicles will be $25 per day.

8) Towers will be required to arrive at a scene within 30 minutes of receiving a call.

9) If there are too many vehicles involved for the company assigned to that week to handle, a contingency plan will be in place for the next company on the rotation to be called in to assist.

The Buffalo Police, Parking Department, and the Department of Permits and Inspections will work together to enforce these new guidelines.

"So the whole process of people rushing to the scenes, and multiple towers being on the scene will no longer be allowed," Brown explained. "So that will completely take any profit motive to do something illegal out of the process."

Currently, the only two towing companies on the list are Riverside and South Buffalo. Other companies wishing to be added to the list of authorized towers need to apply with the Parking Department .

If an unauthorized tower shows up at an accident scene, it could have its license to tow in the City of Buffalo revoked completely.

The FBI is investigating allegations that some tow truck operators have paid bribes to police personnel. Neither Mayor Brown nor Commissioner Derenda would comment on that investigation during Friday's press conference.