Posted on 06/14/24
| News Source: WBAL TV
The new sheriff in town is determined to make a difference in the lives of Baltimore City residents.
The sheriff's effort involves ridding streets of abandoned and broken-down vehicles in what Sheriff Sam Cogen, who was elected to office in 2022, considers quality-of-life law enforcement. The sheriff said his deputies tow an average of six vehicles per day, amounting to about 58 vehicles towed since the enforcement began in December.
Drivers who dare to ignore no-parking zones, for example, now face getting towed faster than they can call 311.
As part of her full-time duties, Deputy Stacey Dickens is a tow truck operator with the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office.
"If something comes back with the driver not having proper registration, I'm going to get it," Dickens told 11 News.
Dickens partners with another deputy to respond to neighborhood complaints about everything from illegal parking to abandoned vehicles. They work in partnership with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.
"Most times, we are picking up illegal parking," Dickens told 11 News.
The sheriff said residents are still surprised to see the tow truck.
"People are like, 'Wow, you guys have a tow truck,' and they see that," Cogen told 11 News.
The deputies said that when they run license plates through the system, they are required by law to find out if the vehicle has been stolen. Then, a ticket is placed on the vehicle and the tow truck is called.
"What's cool about having our own tow truck is the deputy can write the tickets in the tow truck, so they can do two things at once," Cogen said.
Cogen came up with the idea after attending community meetings and hearing firsthand about abandoned and nuisance vehicle concerns.