Dear City of Lomita,
No longer do I feel protected nor do I feel that your Sheriffs are providing a service in times need. Distrust and anger is all that I feel in relation to your cities law enforcement agencies. Close to a year ago my vehicle was taken away from me from the very establishment that was originally created to protect and to serve. It was late in the evening about 8 months ago when I noticed a light outside my window indicating that there was a Sheriffs vehicle behind my vehicle as my vehicle is parked on the street directly in front of the house that I live at on a quiet little street in Lomita, Ca. My vehicle was a recent financial problem as I had recently lost my job and I was having financial difficulties with getting my vehicle running and registered. At the time the condition the condition of my vehicle was that I had a front flat tire and the starter was needing repair. The current registration stickers were behind a year. Despite the lack of a current sticker I had paid the DMV for the registration fees for that year but I was required to provide proof of California Smog but I was not able to do so and without the smog certificate the temporary registration eventually ran out. My vehicle was a piece mail project as I was working on fixing each issue one at a time and had just hired someone to fix the starter just days prior but the man did not finish the job even though I had paid him. To fix each issue one at time with a limited budget was the only way I could financially handle the problem. The car parked on the street directly in front of my house should have caused no issue to anybody else in the neighborhood. Had I come home one day and noticed my vehicle gone I would have known the vehicle was towed because of the registration and I would have been more understanding of the law and I would have accepted losing the vehicle with nobody to explain the situation, however I was able to intercept the sheriff while she was on the radio calling in the tow. I approached the Sheriffs car window and explained to her that I was the owner of the vehicle and that I was in the process of getting the vehicle up to standard and that I was out of work and that it was my only vehicle and once I was able to get the starter working and the front tire fixed that I would move the car to a better location off city streets. She turns and said to me "I am tired of hearing everybodys sob story about the economy being bad and not having money. Your car is a year behind in registration and I am having it towed". I tried to speak but she put her hand up to silence me as she radioed the tow company. Despite my current feeling of panic and disbelief I then explained to her that I had paid the registration for the year but I just did not have stickers because I needed proof of smog and I was delayed on that because of the starter not working and the flat tire but I showed her my receipts and DMV paperwork. This did not matter to her as she seemed as though she was on a power trip and was not going to allow my sob story to reduce her to human standards of understanding and compassion. She was focused and determined to make my life that much more difficult as I explained to her that once my car is towed that I would not be able to pay all of the fees, the tow, the storage, late fees compounding, repairs and the smog etc all at once in order to get my car out. I told her that I would end up losing my vehicle and all of the money I recently just put into it. If she would only allow me to move the vehicle up on the driveway of the house that I live at that it would be off the street until I could fix it and everything would work out. She ignored my plea and she then radioed for more officers in the area to assist her. Within minutes there were 3 more Sheriffs vehicles in the street while 2 of the officers from one of the vehicles stepped out and approached me glaring a flashlight in my face and hand on gun was told like a common criminal to stop speaking and step away from the officers vehicle and sit on the curb. A completely unnecessary and excessive use of force since I posed no threat unless you consider my hands in a praying position, crouched and begging not to tow my vehicle a physical threat. My father is a retired LAPD Police detective and I learned early in my life that if you do as your told, without argument and treat the officers with respect that your situation will improve. Thus I remained silent and I remained cooperative. I explained to another officer my situation and asked him if there was anything he could do to help, he said its up to the original officer who I was no longer allowed to speak with. So basically she had called for backup not because I was any threat but because she did not want to hear me beg and plead for my only vehicle any longer. Now I was feeling violated and hurt. I was completely cooperating, I had offered a solution and a promise to have the car off the streets but she was not going to allow this to happen. Its as if she was getting some sort of kickback from the tow yard or having to meet some sort of quota for impounded vehicles. Why else would she waste the cities money if there is no gain for her in the end? Somehow I still had some hope that by sitting on the curb quietly that when the tow truck came that she will have some pity on me and cancel the whole vehicle impounding. Unfortunately the tow truck came and hooked my car up and drove away with it. The second officer came up to me before he left and said "With the economy the way it is, cars are so cheap, your better off just buying a new car then paying for all the impound fees to get it out". And that was it he got into his car and all the other officers left the scene. So not only did I lose my vehicle but from what I witnessed was a blatant waste of 4 Sheriffs vehicles at least 8 or 9 Officers for 30 minutes that could have been elsewhere serving and protecting our city and 1 city Tow truck all of which could have been avoided if I was just allowed to move my vehicle up on the driveway and given a fix it ticket. My car was auctioned off by the Lot and I lost my vehicle and all of the money I had put into it and now I am still unemployed yet now I am unemployed without a vehicle. To take from the recently poor and those who are struggling during tough economic times and charge excessive amounts that they can not afford is nothing more then a sham! Shame on those who were involved and the system that allows them to get away with this.
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