Dan Rodricks' commentary on the towing industry highlights an obvious problem that allows towing companies to make a lot of money at the expense of vehicle owners ("Towing the line on property rights," Dec. 18).
But the problem is even larger than Mr. Rodricks suggests. Victims of auto theft or crimes that result in the towing of their vehicle must pay all the associated fees required to retrieve their car after it is recovered by police. As Mr. Rodricks explained, this amount can quickly add up. This is an excellent example of secondary victimization that occurs when crime victims receive unfair and insensitive treatment in the aftermath of a crime.
In 2008, Gov. Martin O'Malley convened a Towing/Storage Task Force that made recommendations to overhaul towing policies. In 2010 and 2011, bills were introduced to address unfair towing and storage fees but failed to pass to legislature. Although crime victims are a small segment of the population affected by unfair towing practices, they deserve to be included with all those who suffer from the greed of towing companies.
Efforts will be made in 2012 to minimize the financial impact associated with vehicle recovery for crime victims. People should contact their state senator or delegate to voice their support for a bill to overhaul the industry's practices regarding the towing and impounding of vehicles belonging to crime victims.
Linda Fleischer
The writer is a member of the Maryland State Board of Victim Services.