Registered owners of impounded vehicles must FIRST obtain an impound release prior to going to the contract tow service storage facility. Releases can be obtained at the Police Department Headquarters Building located at 20 Hammond Street; Port Jervis, New York.
To obtain a vehicle release that has been impounded as a result of DUI, driving without a license, driving on an expired license, out-of-date registration, or other traffic-related violations, it is advisable to call the Port Jervis Police Department at (845) 858-4079 to assure the vehicle is available for release prior to coming in.
Only the Registered Owner (RO) of a vehicle can obtain the impound release. If the RO is not available (for example, out of town), he or she may mail or overnight a NOTARIZED letter designating a person to pick up the vehicle. Only the original of the notarized letter is acceptable, not copies or faxes. In the letter, the RO must be very specific as to who will be picking up the vehicle, along with a detailed description of the vehicle (make, model, license plate number, etc.).
The RO or his/her designee must present a valid New York driver’s license. If the person has only a temporary license, another valid form of picture ID is necessary to obtain an impound release.
With the impound release in hand, you may go to the contract tow service and pay them the applicable tow and storage fees directly. The current contract tow services are:
Fuller’s Garage
16 Woodland Drive; Port Jervis, New York 12771
(845) 856-5702
Tom’s Auto
73-75 Fowler Street; Port Jervis, New York 12771
(845) 858-2755
Hockenberry’s Garage
47 Upper Brook Road; Sparrowbush, NY 12771
(845) 856-1223
Cuddebackville Service Center
989 Route 209 Cuddebackville, NY12729
(845)754-8640
Please call them for particulars regarding payment methods, hours of operation, etc.
Complaints about the tow service should be made in writing to the Port Jervis Police Department; Attn: Towing Complaints; P.O. Box 1002, Port Jervis, New York 12771
Copies of accident reports may be released by the Port Jervis Police Department Headquarters Desk, which has a public counter in the Police lobby of Police Headquarters. Reports may take up to 48 hours after the report is filed to be processed and available for release, although 24 hours is more common. The base fee for this report is $5, and additional fees may apply depending on the type and complexity of the report, and whether or not photographs are included. Reports are not public property, and they will be released only to those persons with a right to have them.
Fee’s must be paid to the City Clerk Treasurer during normal operating hours of Monday – Friday from 9:00am until 5:00pm. All fees must be paid prior to receiving any documents. A receipt of payment will be checked prior to releasing any documents.
Copies of crime reports are obtainable with a freedom of information request that is obtainable from the office of the city clerk/treasurer.
In an effort to provide citizens and insurance companies with the ability to obtain accurate and affordable crash reports as quickly as possible, our crash reports are now available for purchase online. All online requests for crash reports can be made at crashdocs.org.
If purchasing a report through the police station, first visit the office of the city clerk treasurer and pay the fee for the accident report, currently $5.00. This must be done between the hours of 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. From there, respond to the police station main desk and provide the receipt to the desk sergeant or dispatcher at the desk. Your report will be printed for you and provided to you with the receipt.
All City of Port Jervis parking citation’s can be paid directly to the Port Jervis City Clerk Treasurer.
Parking citations are handled through the Port Jervis City Court. You may either plead not guilty on your summons and return it to the Port Jervis City Court or you may appear on the date shown (arraignment date) and plead not guilty at that time. A trial date will be set at that time regarding any contests.
When property is eligible for release and the owner is known, a card is sent to the owner stating that we hold property belonging to them and giving instructions on how to pick it up. To confirm hours or that your property is ready for release, call (845) 858-4003 with the Report number and Property Tag number. You can also call that number looking for losses which have not been reported to the police.
Contact the Port Jervis Police Department Detective Bureau at (845) 858-4003 to speak with an assigned Detective regarding the release of your firearm(s).
An Alarm Contact Sheet can be obtained at the Police Departments Desk or by calling (845) 858-4079 to request that a sheet be mailed to you. This is for commercial and residential alarms.
You must stop. Someone could be injured and need your help.
If anyone is injured, call 911. Administer first aid to injured parties. (Not all traffic accidents require a police response. Most non-injury traffic accidents can be handled between the parties.)
If no one is injured or killed, move your vehicle out of the traffic lane.
Show your driver’s license, registration card and proof of insurance to the other driver or to a police officer. You are also required to provide your current residence address.
Get the facts. Write down the details at the scene:
- License plate numbers.
- Damage to all vehicles involved.
- Name(s) of other drivers, addresses and phone numbers.
- Insurance company names and policy numbers.
- Name(s) of all passengers, pedestrians or witnesses, addresses and phone numbers.
- When did the accident occur? Date and time.
- Where did the accident occur? Cross Streets and City.
If you have a camera, photographs can be helpful for future reference. Carefully choose a safe location from which to take the photographs.
If you are unable to locate the owner of a car or other property that you have collided with, you must leave a note secured attached to the property in a conspicuous place, which includes your name, address, and the name and address of the owner of the car you are driving.
You must also contact the local law enforcement agency.
Emergency Item Checklist:
- Pens/ pencils
- Camera
- Blanket
- First Aid Kit
- Jumper cables
- Flashlight
- Flares
- Paper/ notepad
References:
DMV driver’s handbook
AAA pamphlet: “Protect Yourself In Case Of An Accident”
You can contact the Police Department directly at (845) 856-5101.
For more information, contact:
City of Port Jervis Police Department
20 Hammond Street; Port Jervis, New York 12771
Tel: (845)856-5101
FAX: (845)858-4078
Internet: pjpdinfo@yahoo.com