Abandoned cars litter Oakland

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 3, 2003 | by Chauncey Bailey, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- It's late Saturday morning and Oakland police officer Zena Smith is working on West Street, where another abandoned vehicle has been tagged.

A tow truck driver is getting ready to remove the car near the corner of 29th Street. Smith waves to and later chats briefly with schools Superintendent Dennis Chaconas, who is walking door-to-door urging parents to make sure their children attend school.

Her partner nods to the tow truck driver, who moves out with the car.

"I'm working overtime again," said Smith. "I've been working since 7 a.m. and we have already towed 10 cars."

Noon approaches as Smith leaves for the next stop.

Last year the Abandoned Auto Division of the Oakland Police Department and its staff of six removed 8,882 cars from city streets.

Call the Oakland Police Department phone number (615-5713) to report abandoned vehicles and you'll hear a recorded message say it may take five days or longer to return the call because of the large volume of cars.

"We are just overwhelmed," said one officer who declined to give his name. "People just walk away from their cars, and most times the cars that are left don't belong to anyone who lives on the street. It's just another form of dumping."

Across Oakland, abandoned cars litter neighborhoods from the flatlands to the hills. Some are stolen. Some have been wrecked in accidents. Others have been left by owners who just don't want to pay junkyard fees.

Still others were being repaired on the streets before mechanics gave up and walked away.

"I couldn't afford to keep fixing this bucket," said one East Oakland resident. "And now with gas being sky-high, driving costs more."

In some neighborhoods, cars set for weeks or even months, residents say.Taking up space

"It's ridiculous," said Harold Cooper, who has stopped calling to get several cars removed near Bancroft Avenue and Ritchie Street. "You can't park because cars that are broken down and left take up space."

Other residents say people come by and remove tires or other car parts. Some owners remove radios and rims before leaving their cars, police note.

Many times, people also pile trash into the cars and leave it all on the streets.

"You don't see this in some neighborhoods," said Cooper. "Just the poor areas where nobody cares."

Despite efforts by police -- and rising fees for abandoned car tow storage now $250, up from $65 -- abandoned cars are still being left on city streets.Green towing warnings

Police officers place a green sticker on the windshields of cars that look abandoned, warning they will be towed. But many car owners remove the sticker and move the car to the other side of the street, where it will get tagged again in a few weeks or months, some residents say.

Near the corner of Ritchie Street and Bancroft Avenue, a red Ford Taurus sits on plastic crates instead of tires. The hood has been damaged. Residents say the car has been there for weeks. Parked in front of the car is a gray Nissan Sentra. Trash is piled inside the car.

"People don't care what the neighborhoods look like," said Cooper.