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Towing & Storage Unit
The Towing & Storage Unit was created in 1988 following
the passage of TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE §545.306 which
mandated that the Sheriff of Harris County regulate towing
and storage of non-consent police tows in unincorporated Harris
County. The
vehicle for this regulation is the Harris County Wrecker Ordinance.
The Sheriff's Office supervises the impounding of over 43,000
vehicles a year. If the vehicle is not recovered by the
owner or lienholder, it is sold at public auction. For information
on auctions, call 713-368-AUTO
In addition to the Harris County Wrecker Ordinance, deputies
also enforce applicable state laws such as Chapters 683 and
684 of the TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE. They also work closely
with TXDOT in enforcing Vehicle Storage Facility rules that
are codified in the TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.
The most common complaint about towing is overcharging. If
you believe you have been overcharged, check the fee schedule
on the Harris County Wrecker Ordinance. If there is a discrepancy,
contact the Towing & Storage Unit at 713-672-8853.
Subpoena & Open Records Requests
Any accident report, the Texas Department of Public Safety
form ST-3, is available to the public at any of the Sheriff's
Office substations. The cost for this report is $4.00. Payment is by cash,
cashier's check, or money order only. Business or personal checks are not accepted.
 To
obtain a report, a person must know two of three things. They
are:
- The date of the crash
- Roadway on which it occurred on
- Name of a person involved.
If the accident is severe, an additional criminal offense report
to include scale map, sworn statements, and photographs may
have been completed. If the criminal case has been disposed
of, this information is available under the Texas Public Information
Act. You may fill out an Open Records Request and receive the
file after paying applicable charges for reproduction. If the
desire is to subpoena a file, subpoena is served on:
Custodian of Records, Traffic Enforcement Division
3400 Clinton Drive, Houston Texas
Subpoena must be served in compliance with state law. It is
recommended to call 713-674-5393 and see if a criminal case
is pending before serving process or requesting records.
Collision Reporting
The Sheriff's Office uses Polaris® software for the reporting
of collisions. This software allows for direct data entry
by the deputy on the street. Once entered, the data base can
be queried to identify traffic problems. High-frequency crash
locations are referred to either TXDOT or Harris County Engineering
for analysis. The traffic engineers then report back whether
the problem is road design or inadequate enforcement. Once
identified, efforts are made to immediately correct the problem.
Another advantage to this system is that once entered, the
report can printed at any substation. This allows a citizen
to obtain a report at a location most convenient to them.
Incident Management
The Sheriff's Office recognizes that Incident Management is
a priority
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