(A) Sworn law enforcement officers of the Pompano Beach Police Department are hereby authorized to remove a vehicle from a street or a public right-of-way to the nearest garage or other place of safety, or to a garage designated or maintained by the Police Department or by the city under the following circumstances and in compliance with the applicable sections in Florida Statutes including, but not limited to, F.S. Ch. 705 as currently enacted or as amended from time to time.
(1) When any vehicle is left unattended upon any bridge, causeway, or tunnel or where the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic;
(2) When a vehicle upon a street is so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic, or the person or persons in charge of the vehicle are by reason of physical injury incapacitated to such an extent as to be unable to provide for its custody and removal;
(3) When a vehicle has been parked or stored on the public right-of-way so as to constitute an immediate hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic.
(4) When a vehicle has been abandoned, any vehicle which is left unattended upon a street or public right-of-way continuously for more than 48 hours may be presumed to be abandoned.
(5) When the driver of the vehicle is taken into custody by the Police Department and the vehicle would be left unattended on a street;
(6) When removal is necessary in the interest of public safety because of fire, flood, storm, or other emergency;
(7) When removal of a vehicle is otherwise authorized by state statute.
(B) Whenever an officer removes a vehicle from a street or right-of-way as provided in subsection (A) above and does not know and is not able to immediately ascertain the name of the owner and lienholder(s), or for any other reason is unable to advise the owner or lienholder(s) why the vehicle was impounded and where the vehicle may be located, the officer shall take the necessary steps to ascertain and contact the owner or lienholder(s) and advise why the vehicle was impounded and where the vehicle may be located consistent with F.S. Ch. 705 as currently enacted or as amended from time to time. The Police Department shall maintain records of all vehicle removals. These records shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time, and place from which the vehicle was removed, the reasons for the removal, the name of the garage or place where the vehicle was stored, and the disposition of the vehicle.
(Ord. 96-23, passed 12-12-95; Am. Ord. 2012-25, passed 2-28-12)