A. 
Irrespective of other provisions of this chapter for penalizing illegal parking of vehicles in the following specified instances and in addition thereto, the City Police Department is hereby authorized and directed to tow away or have towed away by a competent person all vehicles violating parking prohibitions contained in this chapter.
B. 
Upon the exercise of the discretion contained in the preceding subsection by the Police Department to have a vehicle moved, it shall be the duty of the Police Department to carry out the provisions of this section by moving a vehicle illegally parked as aforesaid. It shall be the duty of the Police Department to provide storage space for such vehicle, either in a municipal garage or impound area or in a safe and dependable private garage or impound area, but, nevertheless, nothing herein shall be taken or construed as obligating the Police Department or other municipal department for damage done or destruction of such vehicle while being towed or so stored, unless by law otherwise provided.
C. 
The cost of the towing and storage as hereinbefore provided shall be determined as follows:
(1) 
If the storing is done by the Police Department or other municipal department, the cost therefor shall be in accordance with the reasonable expense incident to same, plus a reasonable charge as compensation thereof.
(2) 
If the towing or storing is done by a private company or individual, then the cost shall be at the rate usually charged for such service by such company or individual, but in no case shall the cost exceed a reasonable compensation for the actual labor, material or space involved.
(3) 
It shall be entirely within the discretion of the Police Department as to whether the towing and/or storage provided in this section be done by a municipal department or by a private company or individual, but, nevertheless, the Police Department shall exercise its best judgment in determining the means for such towing and the place for the storing so that the cost of the same shall be kept to a minimum.
A. 
Towing companies utilized by the Havre de Grace Police Department for the towing or impounding of vehicles, as provided for in this article, must meet the following requirements:
(1) 
Availability: Tow services and impound yards must be available 24 hours a day, holidays and weekends included.
(2) 
Impound garages/yards:
(a) 
Vehicles towed by authority of the Havre de Grace Police Department will be towed to an impound garage/yard that provides security while the vehicle is in storage. Impound yards must be enclosed by chain link or other secure fencing having a minimum height of eight feet, with all gates being secured by a locking device.
(b) 
Impound yards/garages used by the Police Department will be located within the corporate limits of the City of Havre de Grace, if practical.
(c) 
Impound yards/garages will be made accessible to the City Police Department 24 hours a day, holidays and weekends included, for officers on official business.
(d) 
Impound yard operators will fully comply with all holds placed on stored vehicles. Vehicles placed on hold will not be released unless properly authorized by an officer of the Havre de Grace Police Department.
B. 
Liability: Towing operators/impound operators will be solely liable for loss from or damage to a vehicle from the point where they gain actual control of the vehicle.
C. 
Licensing requirements: Towing operators/impound operators will be solely responsible for complying with all laws of the State of Maryland governing their operations and will obtain any necessary licenses needed to conduct their business.
D. 
Debris: It will be the responsibility of the tow truck operator to clean any and all debris from the scene of a tow for whatever reason the tow is being made, i.e., accident, mechanical breakdown, etc.
E. 
Cancellations: It will be understood that a tow truck may be canceled at any time before its arrival on the scene by the requesting officer. If the truck arrives and is not needed, the driver will prorate his fee to the vehicle owner.
F. 
Equipment: Each towing company will compile a list of available equipment and limitations of towing, if any exist.
G. 
Approval: Each towing company and/or storage area must meet the requirements set forth by the Havre de Grace Police Department. Final approval for utilization of the towing company and/or storage area will be the responsibility of the Chief of Police or his/her designee.