WEST HOLLYWOOD—At 7:56 p.m. on September 4, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station issued a public safety update announcing that deputies stopped a person who was allegedly operating an illegal tow truck near the intersection of Fountain Avenue and La Brea Avenue.
At the time, the truck’s owner was allegedly soliciting services from a driver who had been involved in a traffic accident. West Hollywood deputies became suspicious after they saw that the truck had neither a logo nor the name of a towing company. They then learned that the registration had expired in 2014. They also found a police scanner, which illegal tow truck operators use to monitor emergency broadcasts so they can arrive at an accident scene before a licensed tow truck.
Deputies arrested the driver for illegal towing and for possessing a police scanner.
The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station is grateful that its deputies prevented the tow truck operators from scamming anyone.
It advises citizens to remember that if they are in a traffic accident, they should use only a towing company recommended by a law enforcement officer or their insurance company. Citizens should also remember that a legitimate tow truck will display both a permit number and the company name.
On October 10, 2023, California Assembly Bill 1263 from the 2023–2024 session of the California State Legislature became law. It expanded the authority of the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, or BAR, and gave it the power to target illegal towing or bandit towing operations within California.
