Detroit announced sweeping changes to its police towing operations in February 2022 after Operation Northern Hook and related federal investigations revealed systemic corruption including bribes to police officers and elected officials, according to Crain's Detroit Business. The city's towing contracts had not been competitively bid since a decision made in 2011-2012, creating what officials called a system ripe for abuse.
Operator takeaway
A decade of no-bid towing contracts produced multiple federal convictions — if your city's rotation system lacks competitive bidding, transparency, and oversight, the conditions for corruption are already in place.