LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A longtime Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department towing provider is out of a lucrative contract, putting jobs at risk and raising questions about how the decision was made.
Allegations of backdoor deals being done in secret to benefit a particular tow company with alleged connections to Metro and political leaders brought dozens of community members to Metro's Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting Thursday morning. People from tow truck drivers to state lawmakers pleaded with the committee to hold an open hearing on the department's lucrative towing contract, only to find their pleas fell on deaf ears.
WATCH | Snap Towing loses lucrative Metro contract, putting nearly 100 jobs at risk
The committee voted unanimously to award the towing management contract to Autura, a software company that will serve as the middleman between Metro and tow operators.
Snap Towing had been one of Metro's towing providers since 2016. But in September, it was removed. For the past decade, Snap Towing says Metro work accounted for more than half its business.
That work brought the Henderson-based, minority-owned company about $1 million a month, supporting nearly 100 employees.
"It affects drivers, it affects families, it affects children. Snap is being taken off this contract. No one's explained to us why," Snap tow truck driver Corey Moreland said.
Christian Solomon, a neighborhood advocate, described the scope of the company's work.
"Handling the most critical incidents, from submerged vehicles in Lake Las Vegas, to clearing up the burning lithium battery truck that shut down Interstate 15 for nearly 2 days," Solomon said.
Pamela Rios, a Snap Towing sales manager, grew emotional as she spoke. "I look forward to coming to work every day. The people there... The people there know their work. Um, excuse me," Rios said, brushing away tears.
Co-owner Danny Thompson says the company was given no explanation and had no contract violations.
"Shocked. I'm shocked that Snap wasn't given a public hearing, so that if they did something wrong, say it, right?" Thompson said.
Thompson and others accuse Sheriff Kevin McMahill of bypassing the Fiscal Affairs Committee's oversight when the new towing contract was executed. They asked the committee to pull the contract from its consent agenda, discuss it publicly and then vote.
"Snap Towing deserves a fair hearing. This public deserves a vote, and the full disclosure from every member who takes part in it," said one speaker.
"If this was handled properly, a public review will show it and we will say so. If it wasn't, Snap's employees and every minority-owned business in this valley deserve to know," Jaren Gray of the Urban Chamber of Commerce said.
The committee could have held that public discussion before voting. It didn't. Commissioner Jim Gibson was also questioned during public comment about a possible conflict of interest. He did not address those concerns during the meeting.
"They just brushed this thing over. They did it on a consent agenda. That's not how you do business in the open," Thompson said.
Metro Chief Financial Officer Rich Hoggan says at least three qualified tow companies will get work under neutral dispatch rules. He compared the new system to a rideshare app.
"A tow company earns work by qualifying and performing, not from being anybody's favorite," Hoggan said.
Metro says it rewrote its Request for Proposals this Spring to address conflict-of-interest concerns. It also says Snap did not submit a proposal to be included in Autura's new contract. Thompson says that's not the whole story.
"We've been reaching out to them, trying to meet with them for over a year. The sheriff even asked us to meet with them, and that's what we were doing. Nobody returned our calls. I've got the emails. I've got the letters that were sent, certified mail, by the way, so I know they got them, but nobody called us back. I mean, because obviously they've picked who they want to be their providers," Thompson said.
The new contract also gives tow companies more time to respond.
"Under the old contract, we had to be there within 20 minutes. The new contract says 30 minutes. Well, that's 10 minutes that an officer has to stand out there," Thompson said.
Thompson says his biggest concern now is his employees.
"There are 98 employees in Commissioner Gibson's district who some of them are going to lose their jobs. That probably accounted for 60 percent of the business — that one contract. And so, if Snap can't find other business to replace that--which is very difficult to get that kind of volume — those people are going to lose their jobs," Thompson said.
On behalf of co-owner Van Le, Thompson says this is far from over. They plan to pursue all options, including a possible lawsuit against the department.
Letters of support for Snap were submitted to Metro by the Clark County Fire Department, Sheriff's Protective Association, Foothill High School Theatre, GrayMar Environmental, Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, Minddie Lloyd (widow of fallen LVMPD Lt. Erik Lloyd), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 396, Las Vegas Police Protective Association, St. Paul's Bishop Chris Moran (Diocese of the West), Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Injured Police Officers Fund (IPOF), PFC Group of Companies, Laborers Local 872, Teamsters 631, CWA of Nevada.
Those entities are just some of the recipients of what Le reports as more than $713,000 in community and humanitarian giving.
Le sent 13 Investigates a statement, saying in part:
"I want to thank you for at least shedding some light into the cronyism, lies, and corruption of this whole process. I want this process to be disclosed so that taxpayers, small businesses, and minorities will think twice before they make any decisions to do business with Metro and its Fiscal Affairs Committee. I have always been a huge law enforcement supporter and will continue. I support the beat cops and the front-line officers who gave their lives (by helping financially to alleviate the) stress on their families every day. I will work to mobilize the people who showed today to go to the legislative session and make changes, because they want transparency and a government that works to protect them and others. I was told to be scared when I speak out about Metro. I came to this country with nothing and got everything. I will speak and give back to this country and my children (to ensure) a government (whose) entities are there to serve, protect and be transparent to the people who elected them and pay their salaries. The fight now is not just about future transparency and public safety. Today, (my eyes were opened) to a world of cronyism, lack of accountability and distrust of government and its entities."
