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Illegal drivers to lose wheels Central Point OKs impounding By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- Illegal drivers beware. Starting in July, Central Point police will be able to seize the vehicles of people charged with driving drunk, driving without a license or driving with a suspended license. The City Council approved the vehicle impoundment program, which also applies to uninsured drivers. "We're doing it now because it is more of a priority," Police Chief Mike Sweeny said. "Basically we have certain individuals continuing to operate vehicles illegally in the city. "We see them. We stop them because we know their license is suspended, and (after they're cited) they go on their way," he said. "That won't happen once we begin the impoundment program." In 1997, the city issued 500 citations that would have qualified for impoundment. Because it's up to an officer's discretion, probably 300 of those citations would have resulted in a tow. Of those, Sweeny estimated that 200 of the vehicles would actually be reclaimed. It would cost the driver of an impounded vehicle $75 for the municipal court plus storage and towing fees to retrieve his or her automobile. "We're not trying to create a financial hardship for law-abiding citizens," Sweeny said, and the city doesn't make any money from impounding vehicles. "The intent is to get unsafe, unlicensed drivers off the road, unsafe vehicles off the road and get sanctions for major traffic violators in Central Point." Central Point joins larger and smaller Rogue Valley cities, plus Jackson County, in impounding vehicles. Deputy Chief Ron Norris of the Medford Police Department predicts his officers will impound more than 1,600 vehicles this year. "It's been real advantageous for us," he said. Officers in the past have cited drivers who had more than 30 driving-while-suspended citations, but until the impoundment program, police had no way to stop them from driving. Ashland started strictly enforcing its impoundment program in January, said Capt. Mike DeCapua, because of potential liability. For example, if an uninsured driver was in an accident, and an officer had stopped the car earlier but didn't impound it, in some cases the police agency could be liable, DeCapua said. The city of Phoenix has had the program since 1997, and has impounded a total of 110 automobiles. The police department also has found a way to prevent drivers from getting around the program. Often, a roommate or spouse of a driver with an impounded vehicle will provide all the necessary records to release the car. Records director Mike Webber said he tells the spouse or roommate that if the driver who was cited is caught driving the car again, the city will cite the person redeeming the car for allowing the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle, which carries a $170 fine. Another trick drivers try is to sell their car to a friend, transfer the title and registration, and have him or her reclaim the car. Webber said he tells the car buyer the same thing, and the warning seems to work. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA