Lake Sheriff could lose towing authority amid scandal
NWI Times
Jan 5, 2017
CROWN POINT — The Lake County Council is preparing to take towing away from the scandal-ridden Sheriff's Department.
The County Council announced Thursday at its first workshop meeting of 2017 that it is preparing an ordinance to be read as early as Tuesday removing from Sheriff John Buncich the authority to hire towing firms county police use to remove cars from public streets.
The ordinance would transfer that power to the Lake County Board of Commissioners.
County Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said, "We are doing this because of the things that have been happening."
That is a reference to the federal investigation into towing bribery that became public Nov. 10 when the FBI and state police raided the Sheriff's Department for towing records.
A week later, U.S. Attorney David Capp charged Buncich, Tim Downs, the sheriff's second in command, and a Lake Station towing firm owner on allegations Buncich solicited bribes and campaign contributions.
The government alleges Buncich personally chose which towing firms were on the department's approved list and gave the more lucrative assignment to the firms that gave him the most money.
Buncich has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Downs pleaded guilty last month to soliciting political contributions from towing firms under Buncich's order.
Ray Szarmach, the council's attorney, said the commissioners used to control towing contracts until the council changed the rules 17 years ago and gave it to the sheriff.
Buncich didn't attend the workshop meeting and couldn't be reached Thursday for comment.
Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said Thursday, "I welcome this." He said the commissioners will be preparing specifications similar to those used by state police to ensure only the most qualified towing firms work for the county.
The ordinance states a qualified towing firm must be open for business 24 hours a day and carry at least $1 million in liability insurance.
"We may want them to have a certain number of trucks or have been in business for a certain length of time," Repay said.
Repay said he would expect commissioners to debate and hire towing firms at public meetings. Buncich had named approved towing firms without any public input.
The ordinance also will take from the sheriff's department the $50 "franchise fee" towing firms pay to the county for each vehicle they remove. The sheriff said in the past he has been using those fees, which have brought in between $160,000 and $200,000 a year to pay the salaries of some county police officers.
The ordinance would direct the fees to the county's general fund, where most of the county's money is held.
The Portage City Council is looking at measures to make the process of choosing towing firms for their community more transparent.
The U.S. attorney also charged Portage Mayor James E. Snyder late last year with soliciting and receiving $12,000 in bribes in exchange for a towing contract with the city of Portage. Snyder is pleading not guilty.
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