The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s effort to stay out of the auto towing business is exposing the department to possible legal scrutiny and potentially endangering the public, say critics who contend Metro’s towing management vendor is engaged in self-dealing.
Since 2016, Metro has outsourced its towing dispatch services to Autura, a national company formerly known as AutoReturn.
Metro pays nothing. Instead, Autura tacks on a $32.50 charge to customers’ bills for every law enforcement-related tow it dispatches, and the tow companies with whom it contracts reap the lucrative vehicle storage and scrap metal income…