Sgt. Dave Garcia, who oversees the vehicle seizure program, said city police seized 120 vehicles in the first six months of this year, netting $23,960 in the process.
That puts the city on pace to reach 240 vehicle seizures in 2008, up 71 vehicles from 2007, and up 73 from 2006. The city netted $32,054 in 2007 and $32,800 in 2006.
Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, several aldermen and some community leaders praised the seizures - which started about 15 years ago - saying they deter...
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Cars - 2008-08-08 13:05:14
Dateline did an investigation on Louisiana for a similar thing. Here's a link to the Dateline story, circa 1997: http://www.fear.org/luez-app.html
And, if I'm doing my math right, the county is getting less than $200 for each car towed. Where's the profit? How can the county make any money on this after paying for the tow?? Anyone not guilty should get their car back without any charge and compensation for being without a car during that time, IMHO.
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S. Abbott - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent
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Police State - 2008-08-07 22:16:37
Another example of how we are giving the POlice too much authority. They drive the roads at high rates of speed and they are not going to a call, they can talk to a citizen in a demeaning manner and you are supposed to sit there and take it, and now they can steal our cars and make us pay to get them back. No I do not nor have I ever used drugs, however as someone else wrote, I believe a high number of these cars are probaly stolen by the drug users and dealers. When will we learn??
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Liz G. - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Masons Tow unprofessional - 2008-08-06 20:33:28
Some of the employees at Mason's Towing are a little crazy and I wouldn't interfere with them. I was in Carlson's the other day and one guy from Masons's (who had his truck, and by the way, could have just walked), came over, started yelling at me and honking his horn...and said I was parked wrong. Now I've seen people park at Carlson's before. But I was just suprised at the way he acted, and he was very unprofessional and quite rude, to the point where I did not say a word....he was Italian (I think), and spoke with an accent.
I don't know why the government would have a contract with this business. Actually, I do know why, because the government is probably their only business.
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Bridget Gallagher - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2008-08-06 14:47:57
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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2008-08-06 14:47:16
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Doesn't seem right - 2008-08-05 22:26:12
It used to be easy to support the law enforcement folks without question. That is no longer possible due to actions like this, and many others. Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Maryland, Comrade.
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Dave D. - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Excellent
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quotes - 2008-08-05 20:58:06
"The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it." - Sir Robert Peel
Or -
"That's some good work there Lou." - Chief Wiggum
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William Cooke - Baltimore, MD - Karma: Terrible
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Don't steal - 2008-08-05 20:49:10
Don't steal, the government hates competition.
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William Cooke - Baltimore, MD - Karma: Terrible
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Marvy - 2008-08-05 19:14:50
Somebody gets caught with possible weed in my car and the State STEALS my car then holds it Ransom before the tests come back that show it was part of a Tomato plant?
Aint the War on Drugs working out just marvelous?
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Paul F. - Shady Side, MD - Karma: Neutral
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More Feelgood Nonsense - 2008-08-05 17:34:13
The mere fact that the numbers keep going up are evidence that this doesn't work. Holding someone's property ransom until they pay is a crime if you ask me. But hey, this is Maryland... the government knows best right? Keep blindly voting Dem and watch new and interesting taxes and fees like this one multiply. The war on drugs has caused more crime than any other initiative EVER. What has it solved? NOTHING! But it has created bigger government, more prisons, higher taxes and less safety so that's good... NOT. And for the record, I have never used drugs... I'm just not blind to reality like many seem to be. Laws that attempt to protect people from themselves will never work.
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Bruce K. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral
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more than wrong. - 2008-08-05 17:21:41
Mafia tactics. Illegal (made legal) tactics for extortion of funds. AND if the offenders get their cars back for a fee, they just pass the cost on to their customers, inflating the drug economy.
The City should simply cut out the drug dealers and Mason's towing and sell drugs directly to the consumers. That would solve a bunch of problems AND save money. Probably make money.
How about this ... patrol the West Street, Main Street and City Dock area and fine the people who can no longer smoke inside where they had to use ash trays, and now stand outside and toss their butts into the street (because their are no proper butt depositories outside of restaurants , requiring a horde of street sweepers every morning at 6am to sweep the city streets by hand. If it happens to rain hard during the night, most of these carcinogen laden butts get flushed into the City Harbor via the storm drains.
This city is a live Fellini Movie.
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Douglas moore - annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Stolen cars - 2008-08-05 16:20:48
The article did not say what happens when the car was stolen. Does the rightful owner have to pay to get the car back? 7 out of 10 are not owned by the driver, something tells me that this just causes the junkie to steal a car!
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Robin S. - Churchton, MD - Karma: Excellent
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This is just wrong!!! - 2008-08-05 16:09:31
Let me first say that I am in no way a criminal or drug user. However, the basis for our entire legal system is "innocent until proven guilty". This policy lets the police "steal" a car from someone before they have even been found guilty. Furthermore, if you're proven not-guilty you still have to pay for the car. This should be illegal. I'm anti-criminal but this has gone way too far. This is pure theft and intimadation.
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Matt Brown - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral
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