JPD seeking towing firms for rotation

JPD seeking towing firms for rotation


The new agreement sets fees at $75 to tow most vehicles. It goes into effect on Friday. Several companies said they have been charging $125 for years.


The city is continuing its wrecker service enrollment period through Thursday.

The enrollment period will allow wrecker companies not on the city's rotation list to see if they qualify for placement, said Robert West, public safety administrator of the Jackson Police Department License and Permit Unit.



"We want to see if there are businesses out there that do qualify, and if there are, we want to give them the opportunity to get on the list," West said. "There are some who don't know how to get on the rotation."



West said the city has not done this type of reaching out often.



The new wrecker service agreement has angered a number of tow companies who believe they will be underpaid.



Despite the criticism, all of the companies that participated under the old agreement signed up for the new agreement, with the exception of "maybe one," West said. He said the city also has gained several new companies.



About 17 wrecker services are on the rotation. The city has about 3,000 calls to wrecker companies each year.



Trey Ward, owner of Ward's Wrecker Service and an outspoken critic of the city's new agreement, said companies signed up for the new agreement to give themselves an option, but he expects several to drop out.



"They won't be able to afford it," Ward said. "They want us to assume the risk, but don't want to pay us for the risk."



To qualify for the rotation, companies must have a gated salvage yard able to store 20 or more vehicles at one time. The property must be in an Industrial 2 Zone. Companies must also have a city of Jackson privilege license and a certain amount of liability insurance.

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