560 vehicles waiting to be impounded to Edmonton police tow lot: councillor

More than 500 abandoned or enforcement-related vehicles are waiting to be towed to the Edmonton police impound lot, according to Coun. Erin Rutherford.

Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford has submitted a formal letter to the Edmonton Police Commission asking it to relocate the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) tow lot.

Rutherford says the current lot at 122 Street and 124 Avenue has reached capacity, causing a bottleneck of 560 vehicles waiting to be impounded.

“You could be waiting months and months for that abandoned vehicle in front of your property to be removed,” she told reporters at City Hall on Friday.

“EPS have told us that they are prioritizing bringing into the impound lot things that are safety concerns. So if you have an abandoned vehicle on the Henday where it could pose a safety concern, that is getting prioritized over something that might be in a residential crescent.”

Additionally, she says because of the Yellowhead Freeway Conversion Program, 180 vehicles, including heavy tow trucks, are now passing through the Prince Charles community and a playground zone every day on the way to the current lot.

“We can’t direct them to move the tow lot. That’s another thing that people don’t understand about this process,” she said.

“We need the police commission and EPS to identify it as a priority capital project, even if it is a nominal capital project. We’re not talking the same as building a whole new fancy police station. The capital costs are less, but we need them to prioritize it and come with that ask.”

The police commission says it has received Rutherford’s letter and her request will be assessed in the coming months.