The purpose and intent of this chapter is to provide criteria
and standard operating procedures that are reasonable, non-exclusionary
and nondiscriminatory in the selection and use of towing operators
for police-initiated towing. Towing operators will, to the extent
possible, provide towing, repair and storage services for vehicles
that are abandoned, disabled, illegally parked or stolen, involved
in accidents and/or suspected or identified by the Borough as being
involved in criminal activities or motor vehicle offenses.
The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
AUTOMOBILE
A private automobile, station wagon or pickup truck.
BASIC TOWING SERVICE
The removal and transportation of an automobile from a highway,
street or other public or private road, or a parking area, or from
a storage facility, and other services normally incidental thereto,
but does not include recovery of an automobile that has left the roadway
and does not include any additional labor required to clean up the
scene.
INSIDE BUILDING
A vehicle storage facility that is completely indoors, having
one or more openings in the walls for storage and removal of vehicles
and is secured by a locking device on each opening.
MOTORCYCLE
A motorcycle, motorbike and bicycle with motor attached and
any other motor-operated vehicle similar to a bicycle or tricycle,
to include all-terrain vehicles.
OUTSIDE SECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoors and is
secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier that is at least
six feet high and is installed with a passive alarm system or a similar
on-site security measure. The facility is to be lighted at night.
OUTSIDE UNSECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoors and is
not secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier and all other
storage facilities not defined above as inside building or outside
secured.
RECOVERY OF VEHICLES
The recovery of an automobile from a position beyond the
right-of-way or berm or from being impaled upon any other object within
the right-of-way or berm. It shall also include the recovery of a
vehicle which is overturned or on its side.
TOW VEHICLE
A vehicle equipped with a boom or booms, winches, slings,
tilt beds, wheel lifts or under-reach equipment specifically designed
by its manufacturer for the removal and transport of private passenger
automobiles.
TRUCK
Any motor vehicle other than an automobile as defined above
and which requires heavy-duty towing.
WINCHING
Moving a vehicle by use of the cable or winch from a position
that is not accessible for direct hookup by conventional means of
loading onto a tow vehicle. It shall not include pulling a motor vehicle
onto a tilt bed or car carrier or lifting a vehicle with a conventional
tow sling.