Los Fresnos close to adopting towing ordinance

The Los Fresnos City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the city's police department to tow vehicles when the driver has no proof of auto insurance.

The vehicles would be impounded until the uninsured driver purchases liability insurance. The measure is meant to persuade drivers to purchase insurance before a costly accident occurs.

The ordinance made its way onto the city's agenda after Mayor Gary Winstead Sr. had an accident with an uninsured driver.

"I got hit with the costs," Winstead said.

According to Los Fresnos Police Chief James Harris, more than 25 percent of drivers in the area are uninsured.

The impounding of vehicles would be an additional penalty, on top of a fine that can run as high as $350.

"I know it sounds like a stiff penalty, but it's a good thing for us to have," Winstead said. "It means we're moving up in progress."

The ordinance would give police officers the option of towing vehicles, but they would not be forced to do so.

Before approving the first reading, several councilmen asked questions about the policy's potential cost and effectiveness.

"The only concern I have is racial profiling," Councilman Polo Narvaez said. "Are the police only going to tow cars driven by Hispanics?"

The mayor and City Manager Mark Milum assured Narvaez that there were checks in place to prevent profiling.

The City of Harlingen implemented a towing policy in May, when city councilmen voted unanimously and without discussion on May 21, according to the Valley Morning Star.

But three weeks after the vote, no vehicles had been towed under the new law, according the Star.