The city of Jackson has had the same wrecker service rotation agreement in place for the last 10 years, but that has changed.
The Jackson City Council voted on Feb. 14 to update the wrecker service rotation agreement, which outlines requirements, rates and service protocol for wrecker services doing business in Jackson. The agreement is said to be important because it prevents price gouging and establishes a rotations agreement that gives all wrecker services the ability to provide services.
Robert West, who is employed in the licenses and permits division of the Jackson Police Department, said in the past that citizens whose cars had to be towed after a wreck or for other reasons had complained that they were not “getting a fair shake” about the cost when a vehicle was towed to a private lot instead of a city-owned lot.
“They would call their representative and say, ‘If they had taken my car to the city-owned lot it would have cost $75 versus $200 or $300,”’ he said. “This agreement gives us an enforcement tool and requires prices be posted or given to a citizen before their car is taken away.”
Prices at the city-owned lot where vehicles are held and at private lots should mirror each other, West said. Within the first 24 hours of a vehicle being held, there is no fee and after that the fee is $25 per day, he said.
With the new agreement, the price of a tow for a car, van, light truck, moped and motorcycle went from $75 to $85.
The agreement requires wrecker services to respond within 30 minutes after receiving a dispatch from the communication.
The police officer on the scene of a city-initiated tow is supposed to have the communications center contact the next company on the rotation list for the precinct where the tow is needed unless the owner/operator has a preference. A police officer is not supposed to recommend, suggest or solicit the selection of a wrecker service or repair facility.
The agreement requires wrecker services to obtain a business license in the city of Jackson and for all vehicles on rotation for wrecker service to be domiciled and tagged in the city at the address listed on the rotation list application.
The new agreement will make it possible for more tow services to do business in the city, West said. The old agreement required tow services to be located in industrial areas but now a tow service can be located in a commercial area as long as it meets the guidelines in the new agreement, he said.
“One of the benefits is that we have 17 companies previously, but we can now use wrecker companies all over the city,” said West, who plans to go out and explain the change to wrecker services.
Vernon W. Hartley, who represents Ward 5 on the council, inquired about debris left behind on the street after wrecks.
“Don’t leave the bumpers behind, the glass behind,” he said. “It’s on our corners and making more trash.”
West said a wrecker service could be penalized for not cleaning up debris. He said his office will be in charge of enforcement of the agreement.
A first offense will have a wrecker service removed from the rotation for 90 days; a second offense, removal for 180 days; and a third offense, permanent removal.
