The East Moline Police Department is joining hands with QC Towing to help clean up abandoned vehicles in the city.

“We call it our no fines, no fees, no hassle initiative,” said Captain Thomas Reagan. “In an attempt to try to cleanup East Moline.”

Captain Reagan said a second shift officer came to the police department after noticing a lot of abandoned vehicles in the East Moline neighborhoods. Then, they decided to take action. The initiative is part of the citywide spring cleanup. The entities will take care of abandoned, unwanted or derelict vehicles without any fees. 

“We’re trying to be proactive when it comes to our abandoned vehicle initiative,” said Reagan. “We’re trying to get out there in front of the issue.”

“Neighbors complain not because of people getting murdered in the city of East Moline, it’s all about their way of life and if their neighbors have an abandoned vehicle, that’s what spurs them to call the police.”

Because the effort is meant to be easy and hassle-free, a simple phone call is all that is needed.

“Calling us 8-4:30 is the best way to do it, but we can get your vehicle 24 hours a day,” said Reagan. “We’ll put you on a list, if you work during the day and you need an officer at 10 o’clock at night we’ll be able to accommodate any time or day.”

Normally, the police department tags abandoned vehicles, and a $100 fee is attached to that, along with a parking ticket if it is left along the street. Then, towing costs around $125. That doesn’t include the storage fees once it’s there, which depends on length of time and type of vehicle. 

“Abandoned vehicles are a problem in the Quad Cities as a whole, it is just an eyesore for the city,” said Reagan. “Weeds grow up, it attracts rodents. This is just our way to try to clean East Moline.”

For this week-long initiative, no title is necessary to have a vehicle picked up and removed. 

The program will start Monday, April 17 and run until Friday April 21. To dispose of a vehicle, the police department is asking that you call the non-emergency number (752-1545) during office hours. You can find a flier on their Facebook page  or find more information on their website.