Mayor Wants to Do Away With 30-Day Impound of Unlicensed Drivers — Including Illegal Immigrants

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Drivers caught driving without a license can expect to have their cars impounded for a month at a time in Los Angeles. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to change that and allow drivers — many of them illegal immigrants — to get their cars back much quicker.

Villaraigosa told La Opinion about his proposed policy: "I want this to be one of the many things that I have done to extend the notion that the United States is a great place and that we should honor our history by welcoming people and bring [the undocumented] out of the shadows," he told the newspaper (according to a translation by the Los Angeles Times).

California law allows local agencies to impound a car for 30 days if an unlicensed driver is driving, according to the Los Angeles Times. In many cases, those unlicensed drivers are not legal citizens and those impounding fees can take a toll costing a few hundred dollars plus storage fees. Last week he National Lawyers Guild, the Southern California Immigration Coalition and their supporters released a report accusing the police department of racial profiling and targeting immigrant drivers.

Villaraigosa has proposed new guidelines to be rolled out in January that would limit the ability of police to impound cars. Some unlicensed drivers could get their impounded cars back within 24 hours. The new guidelines are just a draft subject to community review, but the Los Angeles Police Protective League is taking a hard line against the policy.

"The Mayor's directive against putting 30-day vehicle holds on first-offense unlicensed drivers puts politics above public safety," the union group said in a statement. "This new policy will result in innocent people being injured and killed."

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By Emma G. Gallegos in News on November 23, 2011 11:40 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Joe D.

I think getting your car impounded is the correct punishment. If you were carrying a gun without a permit you would get it taken away. Whats the difference, they are both machines that can kill people.

Get a damn license, and if your illegal and can't figure it out well tough luck, the world is a hard place to live in. Another great idea from mayor Via Retardo.

Dave

"...accusing the police department of racial profiling and targeting immigrant drivers." Gee, it wouldn't occur to them that perhaps the reason they get pulled over more is because they have never taken a written or driving test to know the laws? That maybe they get tickets because they are UNLICENSED and don't know how to freaking drive - not because they are immigrants?

Give me a break.

Midnight Fapper

This is fucking outrageous. I've had my car impounded (driving on a suspended license due to a past due ticket back home in SF), the impound fees alone were about $1'1k and it took 30 days to get the car out.

I should just just kept my mouth shut and muttered off ,,no espeaky English" to the police, they would have probably let me go with a warning... and a free $500 gas card.

Why do we even pretend Los Angeles is America?

g.x.l.

Under Mayor V's plan your car wouldn't be impounded either.

Midnight Fapper

Right, and most of the morons driving without a license also don't have insurance. They shouldn't be on the road, period. This is only going to encourage irresponsible people. Los Angeles already has some of the worst drivers I've ever encountered, it's nerve wracking and extremely dangerous to get around town here.

At least under the current plan people have an incentive to obey the law.

The Ugly American

Meanwhile... a 12 miles over the limit speeding ticket on Balboa Blvd.will cost you $380 not including traffic school fee.

So cry me a fucking river unlicensed drivers.

Lee Hauser

Wouldn't you know it? Anthony V wants to be reelected just like his buddy Obama. Let's protect illegals no matter what. No longer are they kept in jail....free tuition to college...santuary cities giving them freedoms americans don't get...reduced deportation...special teachers to learn english...free health care...food stamps...and I can go on forever. We the tax payers are getting ripped off daily and I for one can't understand why california/liberals keep voting for the democrats. Please folks when you vote...try to be smart this time. Don't complain that your taxes are going up. Don't complain your kids are being used as pawns. Don't complain our politions have bankrupted our state. I'm frustrated and need your help to get the changes we deserve.

CAmomof5

My Daughter (5th generation U.S. born) who is licensed and insured let a friend drive her car because she wasn't feeling well (she was with him) she did not know he was unlicensed when he offered to drive. They were pulled over and even though she had her license and insurance they impounded the car. It cost her over $1,200 dollars to get her car back. It wasn't fair at all. She should have asked him and has learned her lesson but it seemed a very excessive punishment to me.

Ezra Horne

Yes, Mayor Villaraigosa, please increase the likelihood that an unlicensed (which means uninsured) driver hits me and makes my insurance liable and ultimately will increase the cost of all of our insurance policies in the name of making LA "friendlier to illegal immigrants".

I really don't care if it's unfair to illegal immigrants. This new policy would unfair to ME and every other registered, licensed, insured citizen of America.

Why don't you make good on your commitments to make public transport and cycling infrastructure world-class so all Angelenos can get around without cars, and you will no longer have a "racist" policy (though I hardly see enforcing the laws as racist.)

This is absurd.

natums

I dont know how much a license makes you a better driver. But unlicensed=uninsured, and that is where the liability comes in.

g.x.l.

Not necessarily. You don't need a license to acquire insurance. I get tons of flyers on my car on a weekly basis from insurance agencies offering insurance for unlicensed drivers.

Dave

Yeah right. Try collecting on that insurance once you get in an accident. Won't happen. I'm sure those companies on the flyers will take the premium payments all day. But you'll never be able to get any money after an accident.