How Many HPD Officers In How Many Patrol Vehicles Does It Take To Get A Car Towed?

 

It's been a few years since the City of Hudson stopped BOOTing vehicles with outstanding parking tickets.  Apparently, according to the City Clerk, it was too difficult, if not impossible, to do because of poor communication between the Parking Bureau administrator and the city's parking software system. (We are now on board with a new system.)  But, it turns out, if there is a car parked in the way of a parade, HPD is ready, willing and able get a tow truck on the scene in a jiffy to get the car removed - no BOOT necessary.  Of course, it takes practically half of the entire police force in several vehicles to get the seemingly simple task accomplished.

3 HPD vehicles, with two officers in car at curb.

3 HPD vehicles in frame, plus one outside to
 the right. None of these officers were enforcing
 traffic laws on our streets for moving
vehicles, of course.

It will cost the owner of the towed Subaru $25 for the NO PARKING ZONE ticket which HPD issued, as well as a $25 "Administrative Fee" ticket which, presumably, goes toward the cost of the 5 police officers in the 4 vehicles dealing with the situation to make sure the Subaru was removed from Warren Street properly.  There may also be an additional cost to get the car released from wherever it was towed to (it used to be to Pulver's Glass on Green Street).

When will HPD get this pickup BOOTed or TOWed?  The owner of the pickup with Massachusetts plates owes the city $638 for just six well-overdue parking tickets, four of them for parking in the fire hydrant zone at 2nd and Warren in front of his "art" gallery.  Each of those four $50 tickets are now at $125, all of them being overdue by more than 90 days.  The owner deserves to have his truck BOOTed or TOWed just as much as (if not more than) that Subaru and any of the other cars towed today for being in the way of the parade -- that's for sure.