Buffalo officials
invited probe of bribery allegations
Federal
investigators, at the request of Buffalo city officials, are looking into
allegations of bribery payments being made to Buffalo police personnel by city
tow truck operators, sources confirmed to The Buffalo News on Friday.
Details remained
sketchy late Friday, but it is known that more than a year ago, officials from the
city — in collaboration with the Buffalo Police Department — initiated an
investigation into misconduct possibly involving police officials directing
work toward select tow-truck operators.
During the course
of the investigation, the sources told The News, city officials solicited
assistance from the FBI in the probe.
The News also
learned Friday that three city tow-truck businesses — Jim Mazz Auto, Riverside
Towing & Recovery and a South Buffalo towing operation — are on a routine
list to be sent to calls for private tows when the Buffalo Police tow truck is
unavailable.
This week, Mazz
was removed from the list, sources told The News.
At least one
source said it may have involved this investigation, as well as another
unrelated incident that occurred with the tow operator recently.
James Mazzariello,
owner of Jim Mazz Auto, was not available to talk to a reporter when his
business was reached by phone Friday afternoon, according to a man who took a
message at the company.
How tow trucks
operate in the city has drawn scrutiny this week after last weekend's murder of
tow-truck driver Corddaryl Henley at Walden Avenue and Latour Street.
Some in the
business have said the 25-year-old married father of three was believed to be
the target of a competing tow-truck operation gunman angry that Henley was
taking away some of the lucrative business of hooking tows for the city.
Sources told The
News it's not uncommon for competing tow-truck operators to race to accidents
scenes to make the pickups. Private tow-truck companies are used by the city
when the police tow truck is unavailable. Sources said no city tow truck is
staffed during the midnight shift.
Meanwhile, Buffalo
Mayor Byron W. Brown said late Friday that he expects new tow-truck policies
could be in place in the city as early as next week.
"The concern
has certainly been raised that there is a lack of clarity for the orderly
process of towing," Brown said. "We want to bring clarity to the
process."
Brown said that
earlier this week he directed the city's corporation counsel "to review
the towing ordinance and come up with recommendations and come up with a policy
that could be implemented."
The mayor said he
intends to "review the recommendations" and implement any necessary
changes to the city's policy, which could involve initiating a
"zoned" approach to towing.
"We don't
believe it's necessary for tow-truck operators to race to scenes," Brown
said. "We want to preserve the rights of consumers to select the tow-truck
operators of their choice."