WMPD issues notice on junk car compliance deadline

WMPD issues notice on junk car compliance deadline

New fine schedule goes into effect April 16

ralphhardin@gmail.com To those with junk cars in their yards — you’ve been warned.

Beginning April 16 — that’s next Monday — the West Memphis Police Department will begin the next phase of its inoperable vehicle removal project throughout the city, an operation that has been in the works since last year.

“This project began several months ago after receiving numerous complaints about hundreds of inoperable vehicles city wide,” explained Capt. Joe Baker, Enforcement/Criminal Investigation Division Commander for the West Memphis Police Department. “These vehicles were eye sores in many locations and were the first step of a city wide cleanup project after WMPD took back over ordinance enforcement in March of this year.”

As part of the effort, the WMPD made an extensive catalog of all vehicles potentially in violation of city code.

“We went out to all the neighborhoods and warned citizens in violation of the ordinance that a new fine and fee schedule was being put into place and gave violators of the ordinance sufficient time to correct the issues,” said Baker. “During this sweep, the WMPD located over 600 vehicles city wide which met the criteria of an inoperable motor vehicle.”

Police provided car owners options to get inoperable vehicles removed from their properties at no cost to them from local wrecker services and junk yards, but that grace period is nearing an end.

“Starting April 16th, the WMPD will begin to issue citations to vehicle owners who have not come into compliance with the ordinance,” Baker said.

The new fine schedule includes significantly higher fines than the ordinance originally contained, which, as Baker explained, is thought to be why compliance

has, until now, been so low.

“We don’t want to cite people for this ordinance,” he said. “We would prefer to issue no tickets and for people to just comply with the ordinance and get these vehicles cleaned up. We have tried to give vehicle owners ample time and nocost ways to come into compliance. However, beginning next week, if vehicle owners have not taken action to comply, we will issue them a citation, which will result in a first offense fine of $250.”

Baker reminded residents that according to the new schedule, fines will increase from there if owners still choose not to clean the cars up and will top out at $1,000 for repeat violators.

West Memphis Municipal Code defines 'Inoperable motor vehicle,' for the purpose of enforcement, as “any vehicle placed on blocks or one that does not have current, valid license plates or has one or more wheels removed, or is not in proper condition to be legally operated on the streets of the city because of lack of proper mufflers, tires, headlights, or other mechanical defects or because of lack of an integral part of assembly, or is not capable of self-locomotion.”

By Ralph Hardin