A civil RICO racketeering lawsuit was filed against the New York City Police Department for allegedly ignoring complaints of millions of dollars in overcharges by Runway Towing, which held an exclusive permit to tow vehicles from nine city highways, according to a press release by the plaintiff's attorneys. The lawsuit alleged the NYPD's failure to act on consumer complaints enabled the overcharging to continue.
Operator takeaway
A RICO lawsuit against the NYPD for ignoring towing complaints — when law enforcement fails to enforce towing regulations, the liability shifts from the tow company to the agency that enabled the overcharging.