Barstow reviewing rates of towing companies it uses
Owner of City Towing says city violated his contract, owes him money
BARSTOW • City finance has begun comparing the rates of the towing companies that are contracted with the Barstow Police Department.
The owner of one company, however, says the police chief violated his contract by taking him off rotation without giving him 30-days written notice.
Larry Dickey, owner of City Towing, says the police chief took him off rotation in December after he spoke to her about unpaid bills he says the city owed him. The city owed Dickey about $800 for towing a truck out of the Mojave River bed last May using specialized equipment and taking it to the police station. The city also owed him $694 for towing a Mustang to and from the crime lab in San Bernardino. The city didn’t pay those bills until Jan. 22 he said.
Dickey says the city still owes him about $5,100 for a Jeep the police department asked him to tow from the Lenwood Road area in January 2009. Dickey tried to sell the vehicle at a lien sale, but the Department of Justice told him it was stolen. It’s been on his lot ever since.
“I’ve been towing for the police department for 25 years,” Dickey said. “I know for a fact that I’m not the cheapest. I know I ain’t the highest.”
After receiving bills for the May and September 2009 towing jobs, Police Chief Dianne Burns said she “suspended” Dickey until she and the city could research and compare his rates with the rates of the other companies the department uses. Burns said she could understand the charge for towing a vehicle back and forth from San Bernardino. But, $800 for towing a car from the Mojave River bed to the police station was outrageous, she said.
Burns also said she didn’t receive an invoice about the storage fees Dickey says the city owes him.
“He’s only temporarily suspended,” Burns said. “We want to make sure he’s not ripping people off. We’re doing it as a precaution. Someone’s got to protect the consumer.”
Barstow Finance Director is beginning to gather about 18 months of invoices, according to Burns. Burns said she doesn’t know what the outcome of the price comparison will be.
“It depends on what we find,” she said.
Dickey charges $200 an hour for a rotation tow, he said, but when his company towed the Mustang he charged by the mile to keep the police department from paying a higher rate. His employees worked from 12 noon to 8 p.m. that day, he said, which at $200 an hour, would have cost $1,600.
Barstow Towing, which is also on the police rotation, charges $210 an hour for a rotation tow, said company President Daniel Ebersohl. However, he said the price for towing a vehicle from off the riverbed varies depending on the equipment needed.
“Off-road recovery can be pretty tricky,” he said. “It’s a lot more involved than just going out and hooking up a car and towing it.”
Ebersohl said he hasn’t had a problem with the Barstow Police Department, but added that if the city or any other public agency was going to foot the bill, he offers a discount. If the vehicle’s owner or an insurance company had to pay, they would pay the full amount.
The police department uses eight local towing companies in its rotation, Burns said. Last year the police department towed about 200 cars.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or jcejnar@desertdispatch.com
