TOWING OF DEFENDANT’S CAR (AND INVENTORY SEARCH) AFTER DEFENDANT’S ARREST FOR SHOPLIFTING WAS CONSISTENT WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT’S WRITTEN POLICY.

The Court of Appeals, over a dissent, determined the police properly towed defendant’s car (which resulted in an inventory search) after defendant’s arrest for shoplifting. The towing of the car was consistent with the provisions of the police department’s written policy:

… [T]he police officers’ decision to tow defendant’s vehicle, which was parked in the same parking lot in which defendant was arrested, was properly made in accordance with “standard criteria” set forth in the police department’s written policy … . Those criteria, among other things, limit an officer’s discretion to tow a vehicle upon a driver’s arrest to situations in which such action is necessary to ensure the safety of the vehicle and its contents and where releasing the vehicle to an owner or designee is not otherwise appropriate. Upon defendant’s arrest, the vehicle would have been left unattended indefinitely in the complainant’s private parking lot, which had a history of vandalism, and the complainant requested that the police remove the vehicle. In our view, the officers’ decision to tow the vehicle was, therefore, consistent with a community caretaking function … . Moreover, there is no indication that the officers suspected that they would discover evidence of further criminal activity in defendant’s vehicle, or that they towed the vehicle for that purpose … . People v Tardi, 2016 NY Slip Op 07822, CtApp 11-21-16

CRIMINAL LAW (TOWING OF DEFENDANT’S CAR (AND INVENTORY SEARCH) AFTER DEFENDANT’S ARREST FOR SHOPLIFTING WAS CONSISTENT WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT’S WRITTEN POLICY)/INVENTORY SEARCH (TOWING OF DEFENDANT’S CAR (AND INVENTORY SEARCH) AFTER DEFENDANT’S ARREST FOR SHOPLIFTING WAS CONSISTENT WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT’S WRITTEN POLICY)/TOWING (TOWING OF DEFENDANT’S CAR (AND INVENTORY SEARCH) AFTER DEFENDANT’S ARREST FOR SHOPLIFTING WAS CONSISTENT WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT’S WRITTEN POLICY