LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dealing with abandoned vehicles has been a struggle in Louisville for the last several years. When the pandemic hit, the processes that were in place slowed down - and even stopped - escalating the issue.
So far this year, Louisville Metro Police Maj. Emily McKinley said the department has towed more than 250 vehicles. While they've made more progress than in the last couple of years, she said there are still at least a couple hundred more that still need to be removed.
"This problem did not occur overnight. It's not going to be fixed overnight," said LMPD Police Chief Erika Shields. "This is a long-term project."
Shields said these abandoned vehicles are not just an unattractive nuisance - they can create safety hazards, making it all the more important to get them off the streets.
To remedy the problem, Mayor Greg Fischer said he needs the community's help in reporting these vehicles. On Friday, he announced that people can easily submit photos and locations of abandoned cars through the Metro 311 app. Once a vehicle is reported, LMPD will tag the car, then tow it if it isn't picked up within a certain amount of time.
The mayor also laid out a series of actions the city is taking to reduce the number of vehicles on city streets and in the existing, overcrowded impound lot.
After a pandemic pause, Fischer said the city has resumed auctioning off unclaimed cars currently housed in the lot. The auctions will be held twice a month, both online and in-person, allowing buyers from out-of-state to participate more easily.
Links to the auction site are available on the LMPD website.
He said the city is making aesthetic and security improvements to the impound lot in Butchertown to beautify the area and protect it from potential thieves. When that lot gets full, Fischer said the city has a contract with a car salvage company for an additional storage location.
In January, the mayor signed a Metro Council ordinance creating an amnesty period, helping people who don't have the money to pay the fines to get their vehicles back. The city can use up to 30 amnesty days per year. During the first period in January, nearly 90 vehicles were recovered.
A proposal for a new LMPD auction lot on 7th Street Rd. was approved in December, but the mayor of Shively has expressed opposition to it.
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