12/04/2024
Plumas County Abandoned Vehicle Removal and Prosecution Plan
Submitted by David Hollister, District Attorney 12/3/24
Plumas County is beset by abandoned vehicles. These abandoned vehicles not only present an eyesore but serve as an environmental hazard. To combat these abandoned vehicles the District Attorney’s Office has created an approach consisting of the removal of vehicles as well as the aggressive prosecution of those abandoning their vehicle on a Plumas County public roadway.
With the assistance, insight and outstanding efforts of the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office (Undersheriff Chad Hermann), California Highway Patrol (Lt. Ryan Pedersen), Plumas County Building Department (Director Michael Coehlo and Code Enforcement Officer Jennifer Langston), Plumas County Public Works (Deputy Director Joe Blackwell), and Plumas County Assistant District Attorney Graham Archer and DA Investigator Shawn Adams, a collaborative approach has been created allowing for the investigation, prosecution and prompt removal of abandoned vehicles.
This program will roll out in stages with the first stage occurring with the Board of Supervisors’ approval, on December 3, 2024, and causing approximately ten (10) abandoned vehicles (including a notorious travel trailer outside of Quincy) currently located on Plumas County public roads to be removed to a temporary holding area prior to submission to a dismantler. The public will notice some of the more conspicuous vehicles removed within minutes of the Board’s approval.
A crucial part of the program is the prosecution of those abandoning their vehicles in an effort to deter this conduct. To meet this goal, the Plumas County District Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and identify the person or persons abandoning each vehicle in Plumas County. Once identified, the DA’s Office will file misdemeanor criminal charges under Section 5-8.15 of the Plumas County Code. It is our absolute intention to make sure each prosecution ends with the person convicted of abandoning the vehicle not only paying restitution for the costs of towing and dismantling the vehicle, but to also serving jail time. In no uncertain terms, we intend to deter the abandoning of vehicles by using a robust criminal prosecution to make an example of those who are caught.
On December 3, 2024, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved this program, including the Vehicle Code designation to remove abandoned vehicles as well as the up-front use of restricted DA environmental settlement funds to support the initial towing and dismantling costs of targeted vehicles while a criminal prosecution occurs to secure restitution from the person abandoning their vehicle.
The District Attorney’s Office is aware, and continues to be mindful of the county’s general fund budget deficit. By using its restricted environmental settlement funds, this program is being accomplished without the use of taxpayer or county general fund monies.
Attached are some before and after photos of this project already in motion!
