Lakewood's Impounding Protocol Puts Cars in Lockdown

The Lakewood Police Department won't return Cash Knott's car until his driver's license is reinstated. Knott, a Tacoma resident, received one of the most common infractions that police officers issue:

Driving While License Suspended in the Third Degree.

Normally, Knott would drive away with a citation and face a mandatory court appearance. But under a new program that was launched in January, his truck was impounded.

Knott visited the police station Tuesday to plead his case, unhappy his car was sitting in the tow yard racking up $50 a day in storage fees. He said he forgot to resolve an unpaid traffic ticket in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Knott needs a release form from the Lakewood Police Department before he can get his car back. The tougher enforcement of Driving While License Suspended laws are urging drivers to reinstate their licenses by resolving unpaid traffic infractions.

"They make it very difficult," Knott said. "I think it's a little harsh to impound my vehicle."

Police counter by saying they're tired of seeing suspended drivers—who often times are uninsured—on the streets. The new program also encourages people not to lend their car to anyone with a suspended driver's license.

"We're trying to use this as a tool to urge them (the driver) and say 'fix your issues,'" said Scott Novasky, a traffic collision investigator. "You have to be legal to drive in Lakewood."

Lakewood City Attorney Heidi Wachter said the DWLS caseload has increased dramatically. She said it represents 30 percent of the infractions in the city.

"They don't care about losing their license," Wachter said. "But they care about losing their car."

Since the Lakewood Police Department formed in 2005, violent crimes including prostitution, gang activity and drugs have reduced. But the amount of tickets handed out for repeated suspended drivers hasn't tapered, police say.

Lakewood Police Lt. Dave Guttu said an officer handed out 23 DWLS infractions in one 10-hour shift. Novasky said he wrote a citation for DWLS and, a couple of hours later, saw the same person driving the same car.

"It (the DWLS program) was borne out of frustration," he said. "Because of what's happening, it's a wake-up call."

The new program isn't an emphasis like the ones that the Washington State Patrol implements periodically. This is a long-term push for the department, Novasky said.

"We're tired of seeing suspended drivers," Novasky said.

The program is showing progress since it launched. More than 1,000 DWLS infractions have been issued, an average of more 167 a month. But only 23 of those are repeat offenders.

"It means we're not seeing the same folks," Guttu said. "Either they're not driving or they're legal. That's a signal that, for the majority of folks, the impact is going out there they are going to fix their licenses."

The department remains ahead of the curve when it comes to traffic enforcement. Lakewood was the first city in Pierce County to have red-light cameras installed and only the second in the county (behind Fircrest) to have administrative duties related granting owners permission to pick their car up from the tow truck yard.

Novasky said Dupont and Steilacoom are considering tougher traffic enforcement laws to convince more drivers to be in compliance.

Guttu said police officers in Lakewood have a positive attitude when it comes to towing a car for a suspended license, but it remains the officers' discretion.

"The goal is not to fear the cops," Guttu said. "The goal is be safe and responsible."

Many people with a DWLS in the third degree who don't pay off their driving infractions are in financial trouble or are trying to clear a warrant, he said. Police say collection agencies like Alliance One allow a payment contract so the Department of Licensing will reinstate your license.