Inspired by YA! Advocacy –
The City of Oakland’s new $100K fund to cover towing fees for victims of violent crime is in the news. Advocacy to create the fund was inspired by the experiences of victims of violent crime and YA! clients. Read more about it in the media –
SFGate: Fund Coming Available to Violent Crime Victims to Pay for Tow Fees
CBS Bay Area: Oakland City Council Approves Fund to Help Violent Crime Victims Pay Tow Fees
If the Oakland Police Department (OPD) believes a vehicle might yield evidentiary value after a violent crime, they may order a tow to perform an evidentiary scan of the vehicle. While OPD can issue a total of up to 40 towing fee waivers per year, the demand for these fee waivers often exceeds that total. Now there is a city fund to help struggling victims get their vehicles returned to them.
As Kyndra Simmons, Youth ALIVE!’s Director of Programs, says: “This victory shows why it is so important that Youth ALIVE! is able to listen directly to our clients and uplift their stories and voices, so our elected representatives can hear the different ways we can better support trauma survivors.”