Posted on 11/01/2009 4:36:47 AM PST by radar101
SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco police are easing a policy that requires officers to impound the vehicles of drivers caught without a license—a move expected to help illegal immigrants. The revised policy, which takes effect next month, gives unlicensed drivers 20 minutes after they are pulled over to have a licensed and insured driver move their vehicle. If not, the vehicle can be towed, but only with the approval of a supervisory officer.
"This is an attempt to try to enhance public safety," said San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon.
Although Gascon said the policy change was not motivated by a desire to help illegal immigrants, he acknowledged it will have a "substantial impact" on them.
San Francisco would be among the first cities to implement the no-tow policy, although other cities, including Oakland and San Jose, have looked into the change, said Mark Silverman, director of immigration policy at the San Francisco-based Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Silverman, who was consulted about San Francisco's policy change, said towing and
impounding cars "wreaked havoc" on undocumented workers. "People need their cars to go to work, take their kids to school, to the hospital," he said. "Immigrants in general have limited income and to have to pay (thousands of dollars) is I think way out of proportion to the infraction."
But critics say the city should not make life easier for people who are in the country illegally.
"They need their cars to make a living in jobs they are not supposed to have," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Federation for American Immigration Reform. "San Francisco is admitting that they are aiding and abetting people in violating federal law."
Mehlman said the policy also puts other drivers at risk.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
I think street justice will make a comeback. The people will start to go after crime -- because no one else is.
Well, from the article, that also means SFPD and the courts cannot impound vehicles of unlicensed citizens or legal immigrants......that equal protection thing the courts love to expound on....works both ways unless the city wants to be sued under civil rights violations when they impound a car of an unlicensed legal resident.
All Americans should learn Spanish and hide their birth certificates. Then we can stop paying taxes, get free medical care, be exempt from the need for licenses and IDs, send our kids to out of state colleges for in-state tuition, etc.
We live in Bizarro World!
“towing and impounding cars “wreaked havoc” on undocumented workers. “People need their cars to go to work, take their kids to school, to the hospital,”
...this is absurd! Illegals going to “work”, “school” and the “hospital” are going there illegally, using these facilities illegally, leaving them illegally and breaking the law every second they’re in this country...illegally!! So they’re giving them a break so they can continue to break the law and be illegal!?
I agree entirely. People can take only so much BS, especially when we see right through the BS "reasons" that the government gives for giving lawbreakers a pass.
That is only true if you are a member of a protected class of people. If you are not, forget it.
How many times is this story going to be posted?
The policy of impounding cars (essentially “confiscation”) due to a technical infraction was a massive government over-reach in the first place. The “average” cost of retrieving these cars comes to almost $3,000. (+ the cost of doing without the car until the court releases the impound)
I wonder what the reaction would be if the article was framed as:
“Impound policy relaxed as city storage areas fill with over leveraged BMW’s abandoned by cash strapped owners. Banks refuse to release titles to authorize auction sales costing the city millions.”
Impound policies are almost universally a violation of due process rights, they should be abolished whether they help illegals or not.
I think that is one of the drivers behind the astounding level of sales of guns and ammo.
I absolutely agree.
But there are a lot of impound policies and laws we should go after, not just this one...
But the larger issue is that normal, tax-paying Americans have been having their cars impounded for a long, long time. We suck it up. We are abused by the system, and no one cares. Life is tough, huh?
But now, activists have realized that precious little illegal aliens are having their cars impounded. Oh! Boo Hoo! Let's stop that evil practice! Let's be nice to the illegal aliens!
There is, in short, growing frustration that American taxpayers are punching bags, and illegal aliens have the entire system bending to their will.
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