Impound Policy Gets Second Look

wait, so me as a legal american gets busted for insurance, drinking, etc....gets my stuff towed away instantly. and you headz want a 20 minute grace period??? WTH??? Really? So i don't have insurance papers right or whatever....and all the sudden I am racially profiled to not get an out of jail free card???? This is the lamest crap i have ever seen. I think the four officers need a letter of stellar work.

TOW BABY TOW!!!! I could care less if someone else in the same car has a valid driver's license. The fact that this driver thought it was perfectly fine to drive without a license in violation of the law means to me that they deserve to lose their car. FORGET THE TWENTY MINUTES OR EVEN TWENTY SECONDS. Do not cave into these types of demands. This is what the law tells the cops to do. Who writes the laws??? Do the cops write the laws? No they don't, so keep enforcing the law like you have been and APOLOGIZE TO NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T BE A FREAKING WHIMP SANCHEZ!!!!!!!!!!!! Box of cigars?????? What a load of crap that is!!!!!! Grow a set of pelotas!!!!!

20 minute grace for ALL as long as the vehicle is properly insured. No insurance = tow and hold. All skin colors. Period.

No corruption here. Move along, nothing to see here.

I wonder if honorary badges will be handed out (i.e. sheriffs council.) http://www.independent.com/news/2010/...

Another place to drink and drive from >>> http://www.independent.com/news/2010/...

"Operating on the assumption that illegal immigrants will drive no matter what the law permits, a handful of states like Utah, New Mexico, and Oregon allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses."

But, if they don't pass the test(s), won't they still drive illegally? fredb93117 might have it right, that being insured is more important--although, will a company payoff on a car, if the driver isn't legal?

Belen Seara of PUEBLO and Russ Trenholme are advocating crime, I can't believe our Mayor and Police Chief are amusing them by participating in this discussion. Her argument is based on when unlicensed foreign drivers get caught it is expensive. (Whats not expensive these days?)

Hmm I wonder why the penaltys are so high?

First off our city and state are have huge debt issues so ticket prices/fees have gone up across the board, every law-breaker (and soon tax payer) is 'suffering' from this.

Second of all breaking the law is supposed to be something you don't want to do because of the consequences! If the consequences aren't high enough nobody will pay attention to the law. In the case of unlicensed drivers and the "Catch-22" they face by suffering large penaltys if caught, this is a cost of doing business! Business costs and business risk are something we all undertake, by getting licensed, following laws, paying taxes etc. I don't like paying taxes, I don't like having to take licensing exams, but these are the prices I have to pay to do business here and not suffer consequences. I could operate my business in an illegal maner, and I may not get caught for awhile, but one day when I do, I would suffer the consequences like everybody else. I choose the lesser of two evils, paying taxes and following government regulations because I prefer them to IRS audits, investigations, time/expenses of court, and ultimately serving time in jail. Neither is 'fair' IMHO, but the choice is ours, as foreigners or citizens to break the law or follow the law of the land. As citizens we can change the law and we can interfere with bad laws in court by means of jury nullification, but I will not support any legislation that that gives an advantage to non-citizens over citizens.

I do find it interesting and suspicious as Russ Trenholme does "that some officers dispatched to special traffic patrols impounded more than 50 percent of the cars they stopped, yet issued the fewest number of traffic citations." My interpretation differs from his of course in which I see it as the police are letting law-breaking foreign drivers off the hook because logistically and bureaucratically it is easier and more efficient to just take the $150 impound fee than prosecute law-breaking foreign drivers for small mechanical fix-it tickets like turning signals or head lights. Theres two sides to every story and we haven't heard SBPD respond to that statistic.

As far as the reasoning behind 20 minute rule, it is lame because Seara says it will help cops reduce time waiting for tow trucks. That doesn't make too much sense to me it seems it would make the whole process longer-who's to say the driver has someone to call or that they can make it down to the car in 20 minutes in the first place? To me it is just tacking on another 20 minutes to the process exacerbating the situation. Tow trucks actually have a business model centered around towing as many cars as they can, they get paid to do it so it behooves them to get the car asap or lose the opportunity to another tow truck. The extremely high rate tow company's charge to keep cars is directly related to cost of living and real estate prices here- way higher than other places. If it is too expensive for you, it is time to move, they have to make a living too.

On these stops, stop every car and check licenses/registration/insurance -- if it's surely equally done that should take care of the argument of stops but no citations.

I agree with the 20 minutes grace period (but how would they get someone else to come within 20 minutes?!) but only if the car is properly registered and insured. If there is a second offense, tow and fine.

Cars are not necessary for work; there are buses - and cheaper than owning a car. Or bikes. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Whatever happened about international driver license? If I am abroad, I don't think I can just rent or probably even buy a car with no local or international license. Why should so much attention be given to illegal driving here?

What the hell man. I got mine towed because they would not let me pull up 15ft out of the no parking zone. I got ran because I had an unpaid tinted side window ticket from 2 years ago. And they pulled me over for no front license plate which I had reported stolen a week before to the DMV. $350 fine(my fault) and $300 to get my car out from the tow company's lot.

what's wrong with targetting illegals? they're illegal.

Lets give all criminals a 20 minute grace period for the sake of equality. If you get caught breaking the law you have 20 min. to grab all evidence and run, then olly, olly ox and free.

One word: RACISM

The problem isn't the policy the problem is the law that changes nothing about who is driving and who isn't, but is putting dangerous untrained drivers on the road. I don't expect any Kool-Aid conservatives to buy into that though.

"consider the approach taken by police authorities in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Richmond, and Huntington Park"

This is funny! All those places either have extremely liberal policies (SF), are HIGH crime areas Huntington Park, Richmond), have hig DUI rates (Santa Rosa) or are havens for the undocumented (Santa Rosa).
If you're going to apply a 20 min. grace period, DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD! Don't jst do it for 1 specific demographic out of buckling under pressure from an activist group w/ a singular agenda :) henry

I think if you re-read the article, henry, you will find the suggestion IS to allow all drivers pulled over without a license a 20 minute period to get their vehicle properly returned to home base.

Headline picture caption: "Here we see Cam Sanchez, apprehensively about to make his karaoke debut saying 'no, I don't want to go up there, I'm not ready' ".

If we want true equality, I think EVERYONE deserves a 20 minute grace period to allow a friend or family member to come pick up their cars before being railroaded by the system. Seriously.

"Amazing 20 minute Grace, how Sweet it is......."

Administrative fees are double-taxation. What are you gonna do about that Mayor Helene Schneider ???

The way this article reads to me, illegal immigration seems to be driving this request which seems a little ironic. Has this request never been brought up before? As it stands, you get it at a check point for no liscense, or insurance, your car is gone!! I am wondering why or if not that has ever been brought up by either a LEGAL immigrant, or a US citizen, and if so, why all the sudden it is getting consideration? Also, doesn't this open a can of worms jurisdiction wise? What the CHIPs stick with the current program so you stay off the freeway? Or, you stay away from goleta because county sherrif's stick to status quo? Or you get them all to go for 20 minutes rule for EVERY one. And also, is this just for liscense insruance problems, or DUI's which are ridiculous as far as towing charges. Had a friend towed 3 miles, cost him 385 bucks and they broke his bumper told him too bad. I am guessing this will take some major revinue from towing companies. Like other industries that rely on alot of revinue praying upon peoples misfotunes, I am not feeling alot of compassion. So big picture, I think 20 minutes across the board would be good for every one except tow companies. Oh one more thing, would an illegal immigrant be at a disadvantage because their 20 minute person may not have a valid liscense either??

Oh now I get it. There is this mistrust because the police focus on the working class (illegals who work 2 to 3 jobs that most of us wouldn't take because wages are far lower than they should be) while the leisurely class (everyone else) drives by belching and burping, booming, racing while throwing cigarette butts and beer cans out the window with impunity. I guess "targeting" could be the correct word for it.

I did see SBPD permit an upstanding citizen bar bouncer with a samurai sword some "street justice" after he "sliced" a different underclass. On another On Patrol episode a woman was arrested for attaching a man by pounding him in the face with high heel shoes.

@Don McDermott-The jobs no one will take? Like drug dealing and gang banging or service jobs and manual labor? Here in AZ I have not seen any of these jobs that are considered "the kind that nobody will take" not being worked by Americans. I guess in these times of high unemployment (especially in CA), Americans still refuse to take these jobs and we need to let illegal immigrants break the law so that they will stay here and work.

"Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez agreed to review how a handful of other California cities deal with impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers,"...

and then "Seara and PUEBLO helped midwife a study—officially released during the week of Santa Barbara’s Fiesta celebration—that concluded that some Santa Barbara police officers had been “targeting” illegal immigrants for traffic stops and impounding their cars for driving without a license."

So are they talking about illegal immigrant drivers, or *all* unlicensed drivers?

If one can come into this country and get behind the wheel without having to go through the formalities of paying for insurance and going through the system, then that same right should apply to everyone else otherwise it is discrimination.

Let's get it out on the table: either let's enforce immigration laws, or let's *officially* open the border to **everyone.* To make people from other parts of the world have to go through channels and legalities while someone can walk in from Mexico is unfair.

"There is this mistrust because the police focus on the working class (illegals who work 2 to 3 jobs that most of us wouldn't take because wages are far lower than they should be) while the leisurely class (everyone else) drives by belching and burping, booming, racing while throwing cigarette butts and beer cans out the window with impunity."

Untrue statement. There are many, many people in S.B. who are not here illegally who also work two to three jobs and live in constant fear of eviction and other financial crisis. I would hardly call them the leisurely class. Also, your assertion that all they do is belch, burp, (?) and throw cigarette butts out the window with impunity is a bizarrely false generalization.

Your attempts to paint all illegal immigrants as good people and all others as bad people is not only false, but racist.

Oh listen to all of you bellyaching about the indignity of hard work! Whilst all you snivel amongst yourselves about this to that, we have to perform stupid circus acts for the amusement of tourists at Sea World, as the following video shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7S...

Yes Bill I exaggerated to make a point. I made a comparison between those who work 2 to 3 jobs and those who sit around on S.S. rental income, retirement, annuities, etc and blame everyone who has a job or two for being lazy. I don't think illegal immigrants are better or worse persons than anyone else. But we tend to blame someone else for our problems. In this case I think two underclasses are being targeted. 1.) working illegals who need to drive to 2 to 3 jobs and 2.) Homeless whose constitutional rights seem to be violated while upstanding steroid driven citizens (i.e.bar bouncers) blaze the city trails as if their tailpipes don't stink, belch, burp and boom.

Really Bill it's hard to observe our big city life since you've removed yourself up to the great white north community of ClogsVang. (exaggerated + comparative)

AZ2SB; I don't get what your question is. But the service jobs in this city are that...service jobs in hotels, bars, restaurants, gardening, cleaning services, etc.

BTW my observation in the past is that AZ is no different with most of it's service industry.

@Don- Actually they were just rhetorical questions. It is silly to believe that most people on the road can be divided into the classes you mentioned. I have known many illegals who will carpool, bicycle, or even walk just so they will not get into any trouble with the law.Kind of funny since they are breaking the law by being here illegally, but they at least feel that they need to adhere to the rest of the laws of this land. These people that drive without license, insurance, or registration, do it knowingly and it isn't because it is an absolute necessity. They do it because they can and because they know they will get away with it the majority of the time. When you get into an accident with an uninsured, unlicensed driver, tell me how it feels then.

O.K. here's an example of someone that was not targeted.

Several weeks ago an episode of On Patrol aired a segment with officers stopping a motorcyclist for appearing to be drunk; it was just getting dark out. The Japanese rider was just learning to ride and learning badly. I think he had a learner's permit. The segment is edited and I don't recall exactly how it occurred but the rider's friend magically appeared to ride the motorcycle away because the officers did not think the original rider was safe. So the motorcycle was saved from impound and the episode left a me with a few questions. But it is clear a lot of effort was granted to take care of this leisurely Japanese rider for whatever reason.

So now there is this question about targeting; if this was just another beat up old mufferless Toyota, with an unlicensed driver, headed to the 2nd dishwasher job for the day, would the driver had been given the same grace and assistance. Does it depend on policy or officer's prejudices?

But the idiotic thing about the episode was that the second rider couldn't really ride either as he bumbled and weaved along the busy road. But they just let him ride off.

AZ2SB: I think the reason why many illegals (like anyone else) rough it on foot, bike or bus is because they 1.) can 2.) convenience 3.) costs 4.) enjoyment 5.) they don't want to end up in a bad situation like the one that is up for discussion.

Of course they don't, and that is what I am saying. If an officer wants to give you a break, fine. If not, then "oh well" but all this about having to give you a break is idiocy. Will this apply to people who have lost their license due to DUI? What is the purpose of allowing them to get someone to take their car for them? I only see one, so they can do it again later. If I get hit by one of these uninsured, unlicensed drivers who got let go without punishment will I have course of action against SB for not enforcing the law, probably not. Then who pays for damages, and medical bills if my insurance won't. We end up going backwards to pre-mandatory insurance laws. This sets dangerous precendent.

"Really Bill it's hard to observe our big city life since you've removed yourself up to the great white north community of ClogsVang."

I lived in Santa Barbara from 1973 until 2005 and still commute there six days per week. Also, between our wonderful casino that attracts meth addicts and our local Solvang government which doesn't believe it should interfere with the free market (and as such won't create an ordinance to stop the spread of wine bars) I can say with confidence that booze and gambling is quickly giving the north county a big city sleazy feel.

Three words: Corruption. Revenue. Abuse of power.

If I'm correct; Most DUI (license and insurance) checks are conducted at night. The argument implies that the illegal foreign workers are on there way to or from work. Number 1; If they are working, they are working illegally. I guess this is something we forget. Number 2; Chances are that they were not going to or from work since these checks are carried out at night. I would guess that maybe 20 to 30% percent of the illegal drivers were actually on there way to or from work. Number 3; How does a 20, or 30, or even 60 minute grace period make the act of driving without a license or mandatory insurance legal? What is to keep the individual who drove last night without a license or insurance from driving the next night. By providing him or her a grace period to have a licensed driver pick up the car, only perpetuates these illegal acts. Will the same person who was stopped last night, if stopped again the following night, be given another 20 minutes to have his/her car picked up again. What a great business to have. How about a professional car picker upper. Why don't we just give all illegal foreigners from all countries who break our laws diplomatic immunity, because that's where its headed anyway; Pueblo serving as a foreign embassy. Can you believe it. A private meeting between Pueblo, the Chief of Police, and the Mayor. Whatever happened to the Brown Act. Oh yea, diplomatic immunity.

Picture of Sanchez at top of this page caption: "What WAS it I supposed to pick up at the store on way home..."

Now that is a good Dolphin. How about? "Where the hell did I leave my license?"

"ILLEGAL" Immigrant....
Why are they not impounded along with the car?

Look, get real... if any one of us snuck into another country without proper procedure and got busted for anything... you think we'd not end up in jail?

No, not jail, just killed, robbed, or raped.

"What is the purpose of allowing them to get someone to take their car for them? I only see one, so they can do it again later."-AZ2SB

What if it is not their car?
What if their CA license is suspended (unpaid traffic ticket) but they have a valid license in another state?
What if they cannot provide a valid license but do have one (left at home)?

There. I came up with three alternative "purposes".

New get out of jail free card?

No Hablo Ingles.

Three purposes that are not connected to the issue above.