Niagara Police Approve Towing Contracts Despite Opposition
The Niagara Regional Police Board has approved new three-year secure towing and impound contracts with A Action Towing and Recovery Inc. and Parkway Towing Inc., despite strong objections from local towing operators who say the changes will significantly reduce their business.
Jim Hatcher, president of the Niagara Towing Alliance and owner of Traffic Towing, urged the board to delay approval, arguing the revised towing policy is unfair to companies on the region's tow rotation list. Based on six years of police towing data, Hatcher said the new system could reduce rotation-list calls by roughly one-third, diverting work to the two contracted companies. He called the change "unconscionable" and warned it could threaten the survival of independent, family-owned towing businesses.
Under the updated policy, tow rotation companies will primarily handle collision and breakdown calls, while the contracted firms will receive most other police-requested tows, including many impound-related incidents.
Police officials acknowledged the changes will reduce work for rotation-list operators—estimating a decline of about 40 percent—but said the new system follows industry practices adopted elsewhere and required two contractors to handle the increased workload.
Following the vote, the Niagara Towing Alliance said it is consulting legal counsel to review the procurement process and explore options to protect its members' interests.
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