www.cops.usdoj.gov

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police

Problem-Specific Guides Series

No. 53

Abandoned Vehicles

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

by

Michael G. Maxfield

Michael G. Maxfield

This project was supported by cooperative agreement 

#2006-CK-WX-K003 by the Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions 

contained herein are those of the author and do not necessarily 

represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

References to specific companies, products, or services should 

not be considered an endorsement of the product by the author 

or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are 

illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.

©2008 Center for Problem-Oriented Policing Inc. The U.S. 

Department of Justice reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 

irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and 

authorize others to use, this publication for federal government 

purposes. This publication may be freely distributed and used for 

noncommercial and educational purposes.

www.cops.usdoj.gov

ISBN: 1-932582-88-6

August 2008

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police

Problem-Specific Guides Series

Guide No. 53

Abandoned Vehicles

About the Problem-Specific Guides Series i

About the Problem-Specific Guide Series

The Problem-Specific Guides summarize knowledge about 

how police can reduce the harm caused by specific crime 

and disorder problems. They are guides to prevention 

and to improving the overall response to incidents, not to 

investigating offenses or handling specific incidents. Neither 

do they cover all of the technical details about how to 

implement specific responses. The guides are written for 

police—of whatever rank or assignment—who must address 

the specific problem the guides cover. The guides will be most 

useful to officers who:

•	 Understand basic problem-oriented policing 

principles and methods. The guides are not primers in 

problem-oriented policing. They deal only briefly with the 

initial decision to focus on a particular problem, methods 

to analyze the problem, and means to assess the results 

of a problem-oriented policing project. They are designed 

to help police decide how best to analyze and address a 

problem they have already identified. (A companion series 

of Problem-Solving Tools guides has been produced 

to aid in various aspects of problem analysis and 

assessment.)

•	 Can look at a problem in depth. Depending on the 

complexity of the problem, you should be prepared to 

spend perhaps weeks, or even months, analyzing and 

responding to it. Carefully studying a problem before 

responding helps you design the right strategy, one that 

is most likely to work in your community. You should 

not blindly adopt the responses others have used; 

you must decide whether they are appropriate to your 

local situation. What is true in one place may not be 

true elsewhere; what works in one place may not work 

everywhere.
ii Abandoned Vehicles

•	 Are willing to consider new ways of doing police 

business. The guides describe responses that other police 

departments have used or that researchers have tested. 

While not all of these responses will be appropriate to 

your particular problem, they should help give a broader 

view of the kinds of things you could do. You may think 

you cannot implement some of these responses in your 

jurisdiction, but perhaps you can. In many places, when 

police have discovered a more effective response, they 

have succeeded in having laws and policies changed, 

improving the response to the problem. (A companion 

series of Response Guides has been produced to help you 

understand how commonly-used police responses work 

on a variety of problems.) 

•	 Understand the value and the limits of research 

knowledge. For some types of problems, a lot of useful 

research is available to the police; for other problems, 

little is available. Accordingly, some guides in this series 

summarize existing research whereas other guides 

illustrate the need for more research on that particular 

problem. Regardless, research has not provided definitive 

answers to all the questions you might have about the 

problem. The research may help get you started in 

designing your own responses, but it cannot tell you 

exactly what to do. This will depend greatly on the 

particular nature of your local problem. In the interest 

of keeping the guides readable, not every piece of 

relevant research has been cited, nor has every point been 

attributed to its sources. To have done so would have 

overwhelmed and distracted the reader. The references 

listed at the end of each guide are those drawn on most 

heavily; they are not a complete bibliography of research 

on the subject. 
About the Problem-Specific Guides Series iii

•	 Are willing to work with others to find effective 

solutions to the problem. The police alone cannot 

implement many of the responses discussed in the guides. 

They must frequently implement them in partnership with 

other responsible private and public bodies including other 

government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, 

private businesses, public utilities, community groups, 

and individual citizens. An effective problem solver must 

know how to forge genuine partnerships with others 

and be prepared to invest considerable effort in making 

these partnerships work. Each guide identifies particular 

individuals or groups in the community with whom 

police might work to improve the overall response to that 

problem. Thorough analysis of problems often reveals 

that individuals and groups other than the police are in 

a stronger position to address problems and that police 

ought to shift some greater responsibility to them to do 

so. Response Guide No. 3, Shifting and Sharing Responsibility 

for Public Safety Problems, provides further discussion of this 

topic.

The COPS Office defines community policing as “a policing 

philosophy that promotes and supports organizational 

strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime 

and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and 

police-community partnerships.” These guides emphasize 

problem-solving and police-community partnerships in the context of 

addressing specific public safety problems. For the most part, 

the organizational strategies that can facilitate problem solving 

and police-community partnerships vary considerably and 

discussion of them is beyond the scope of these guides.

These guides have drawn on research findings and police 

practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, 

Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. 

Even though laws, customs, and police practices vary from 
iv Abandoned Vehicles

country to country, it is apparent that the police everywhere 

experience common problems. In a world that is becoming 

increasingly interconnected, it is important that police be aware 

of research and successful practices beyond the borders of 

their own countries.

Each guide is informed by a thorough review of the research 

literature and reported police practice, and each guide is 

anonymously peer-reviewed by a line police officer, a police 

executive, and a researcher prior to publication. The review 

process is independently managed by the COPS Office, which 

solicits the reviews. 

The COPS Office and the authors encourage you to provide 

feedback on this guide and to report on your own agency’s 

experiences dealing with a similar problem. Your agency may have 

effectively addressed a problem using responses not considered in 

these guides and your experiences and knowledge could benefit 

others. This information will be used to update the guides. If you 

wish to provide feedback and share your experiences, send your 

comments by e-mail to cops_pubs@usdoj.gov

For more information about problem-oriented policing, visit 

the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing online at 

www.popcenter.org. This web site offers free online access to:

•	 The Problem-Specific Guides series

•	 The companion Response Guides and Problem-Solving Tools 

series

•	 Instructional information about problem-oriented policing 

and related topics

•	 An interactive problem-oriented policing training exercise

•	 An interactive Problem Analysis Module

•	 A manual for crime analysts

•	 Online access to important police research and practices

•	 Information about problem-oriented policing conferences 

and award programs. 
Acknowledgments

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police are produced by the 

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, whose officers are 

Michael S. Scott (Director), Ronald V. Clarke (Associate 

Director) and Graeme R. Newman (Associate Director). 

While each guide has a primary author, other project 

team members, COPS Office staff and anonymous peer 

reviewers contributed to each guide by proposing text, 

recommending research and offering suggestions on 

matters of format and style. 

The project team that developed the guide series 

comprised Herman Goldstein (University of Wisconsin 

Law School), Ronald V. Clarke (Rutgers University), 

John E. Eck (University of Cincinnati), Michael S. Scott 

(University of Wisconsin Law School), Rana Sampson 

(Police Consultant), and Deborah Lamm Weisel (North 

Carolina State University.) 

Members of the San Diego; National City, California; and 

Savannah, Georgia police departments provided feedback 

on the guides' format and style in the early stages of the 

project.

Cynthia Pappas oversaw the project for the COPS Office 

and research for the guides was conducted at the Criminal 

Justice Library at Rutgers University by Phyllis Schultze. 

Suzanne Fregly edited this guide.

Acknowledgments v

Contents

About the Problem-Specific Guide Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What This Guide Does and Does Not Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

General Description of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Harms Caused by Abandoned Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Factors Contributing to Abandoned Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Cost of Operating and Disposing of Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Side Effects of Vehicle Registration and Licensing Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Understanding Your Local Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Stakeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Asking the Right Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Locations and Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Incidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Environmental Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Community Perceptions and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Current Practice: Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Current Practice: Towing and Disposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Measuring Your Effectivenesss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

General Considerations for an Effective Response Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Specific Responses to Reduce Abandoned Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Removing Abandoned Vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Preventing Vehicles from Being Abandoned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Responses with Limited Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Contents vii
viii Abandoned Vehicles

Appendix: Summary of Responses to Abandoned Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 1

The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles

What This Guide Does and Does Not Cover

This guide begins by describing the problem of abandoned vehicles 

and reviewing factors that increase its risks. It then identifies a series 

of questions to help you analyze your local abandoned-vehicle 

problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is 

known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

Abandoned vehicles fall within larger sets of problems involving 

motor vehicle regulation, social disorder, and the illegal disposal of 

bulky, hazardous waste. Abandoned vehicles are often unregistered 

and may have defaced identification numbers. Abandoned vehicles 

attract vandals, may be used for drug drops or prostitution, 

accumulate refuse, and may be used as shelters by the homeless. 

Some motor vehicle parts contain hazardous substances, in addition 

to gasoline and other fluids, that must be properly disposed of. Old 

vans and truck trailers may be filled with trash or hazardous waste, 

then left on roadsides. Individual cars dumped on city streets may 

contain car parts or other junk.

This guide is limited to addressing the particular harms created by 

abandoned and other types of derelict vehicles. Related problems 

not directly addressed in this guide, each of which requires separate 

analysis, include the following:

•	 Drug dealing

•	 Hazardous waste dumping

•	 Homeless people

•	 Illegal dumping

•	 Illegal auto repair and sales

•	 Insurance fraud

•	 Littering

•	 Junk vehicles intentionally kept on private property

•	 Nuisance parking
2 Abandoned Vehicles

•	 Prostitution

•	 Scrap metal theft

•	 Unlicensed or unregistered vehicles generally

•	 Vehicle theft.

(Some of these related problems are covered in other guides 

in this series, all of which are listed at the end of this guide. 

For the most up-to-date listing of current and future guides, 

see www.popcenter.org.) 

At the same time, it is useful to recognize that these and other 

problems may either contribute to or be side effects stemming 

from abandoned vehicles. 

General Description of the Problem

The term "abandoned vehicle" is often applied loosely to 

different types of nuisance vehicles. The latter includes 

dilapidated cars that still bear license plates but appear unsafe, 

vehicles that emit noxious smoke, cars that are being repaired 

on public streets, and inoperable vehicles that are on private 

property. Drivers may temporarily abandon cars that break 

down on highways as they arrange for repairs. This is different 

from a junk car dumped and permanently abandoned.

The terms "derelict vehicles" or "junk cars” refer to 

inoperable cars and trucks intentionally kept on private 

property. The owner may keep a derelict vehicle for spare 

parts, or intend to repair it some day. Police responsibility for 

derelict vehicles can vary. In many jurisdictions, special code 

enforcement departments monitor and sanction junk cars and 

trucks owners keep on private property. Abandoned vehicles 

most commonly become police problems when left on public 

property, or on private property without an owner's consent.
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 3

There are no national estimates of the numbers of abandoned 

vehicles in the United States. In England, estimates range 

from about 200,000 to 300,000 annually for the years 2000 

through 2004.1 Among U.S. cities, Seattle police received 

about 4,200 reports each month in 2002,2 the New York 

City Sanitation Department picked up over 9,200 vehicles in 

2006,3 while Philadelphia police towed over 32,000 abandoned 

cars in a 40-day period in 2000.4 One year after Michigan 

implemented a statewide data system for tracking towed 

vehicles, over 92,000 abandoned vehicles were removed.5

It is difficult to produce reliable estimates, partly because 

of different approaches to counting. Cars reported and cars 

towed are common measures. But each of these is affected 

by concerted cleanup and publicity campaigns, together with 

changes in how people can report suspected vehicles. Changes 

in definitions or rules about when a vehicle can be assumed 

to be abandoned also play a role in counting. For example, 

the New York City Sanitation Department reports separate 

numbers for vehicles tagged as abandoned, and those actually 

collected. 

The following factors are usually considered in classifying a 

vehicle as abandoned:

•	 Condition, appearance. Body damage, missing or flat tires, 

missing doors or other major parts, broken windshields 

or windows, garbage or other debris inside the vehicle, 

evidence of fire damage, signs of vandalism, trash 

accumulating around the vehicle.

•	 Missing or outdated license plates and other documentation 

(inspection stickers, local registration decals).

•	 Location (parked on public streets or other public 

property). Property owners or managers usually must 

report cars abandoned on private property without the 

owner's consent.
4 Abandoned Vehicles

•	 Length of time at location. This can vary from a very short 

period for highways or limited-access roads, to longer 

periods in parking facilities, to somewhere in between for 

street parking.

•	 Notification, nonresponse. Most jurisdictions require that 

stickers or some other warning be applied to cars or sent 

to registered owners before they can move a vehicle. If the 

owner does not respond within a specified time frame, the 

vehicle can be towed.

Abandoned vehicles are problems in a variety of areas, ranging 

from sparsely inhabited tribal lands, through rural areas, to 

large cities.6 Even within cities, people may dump cars around 

industrial wastelands (brownfields), in large parking lots, along 

train or highway buffer lands, in vacant lots, on city streets, in 

remote parks, or even in cemeteries.7 People abandon different 

types of vehicles for different reasons. Those discarded in less 

populated areas are usually older cars and trucks of little value. 

Abandoned vehicles in urban areas may also include stolen 

cars. Among these will be autos that are intact, partly stripped, 

or burned-out. 

Some places have certain features that produce unusual types 

of problems. For example, people dump a lot of vehicles 

in Boston's Logan Airport parking garage.8 Because it is 

common for owners to leave cars at airports for extended 

periods, distinguishing abandoned cars from the thousands 

parked in large facilities can take weeks. Airport parking 

facilities may attract abandoned vehicles as people drive to 

the airport before moving to another region or country.9 The 

problem may be particularly acute in Boston, where students 

at the many colleges and universities in the area dump the old 

cars that served as city transportation.
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 5

Remote resort areas such as Key West (Florida) and Martha's 

Vineyard (Massachusetts) attract old cars that people use as 

short-distance island transportation. But the junkers eventually 

age beyond repair and are abandoned. The problem is 

compounded by the added cost of removing junk cars from 

remote locations. Key West and other low-lying islands in the 

Florida Keys are further burdened when hurricanes or tropical 

storms damage many cars.10

Interestingly, this variation is not restricted to expensive 

vacation sites. The related problem of "disposable 

transportation" has been identified in some depressed urban 

areas in the United States and England. People use older 

cars, usually unregistered, for short-distance transportation in 

urban neighborhoods. The cars eventually break down and 

are left where they fall. Termed "invisible cars" by England’s 

Lancashire police, they may be informally shared as a type 

of communal transportation, and used in drug sales or other 

offenses.11 Disposable cars have been cited as particular 

problems by police in Philadelphia12 and Washington, D.C.13

Derelict or inoperable vehicles are also found on private 

property, with or without the property owner's consent. In the 

latter case, people may dump cars in parking lots or on vacant 

land. Complaints about junk cars on private property may be 

more common in formerly rural areas that attract development 

as cities expand.14 The sensibilities of outward-moving people 

clash with those of existing residents who view old cars as 

sources of cheap spare parts, not as junk.
6 Abandoned Vehicles

As these examples suggest, abandoned vehicles are not 

always police problems. Depending on local ordinances, junk 

vehicles on private property may be treated as code violations. 

Similarly, dealing with vehicles abandoned in parking lots or 

on other private property may technically be the property 

owners’ responsibility. It usually becomes a police problem 

when vehicles are abandoned or appear to be abandoned on 

streets or other public property.

Harms Caused by Abandoned Vehicles

Abandoned vehicles may be viewed as a quality-of-life 

problem; they are unsightly, and they symbolize and 

contribute to signs of disorder and decay. Wilson and 

Kelling15 argue that broken windows—either literal broken 

windows of vehicles and buildings or figurative “broken 

windows” of all sorts of physical and behavioral disorder—

invite further disorder and crime. Years before that article 

was published, Philip Zimbardo16 described how damaged 

vehicles parked on city streets in New York and California 

attracted additional damage in the form of literal broken 

windows, other vandalism, and parts-stripping. In the same 

way, abandoned derelict vehicles can undermine the quality of 

life while potentially contributing to further problems:

•	 Attracting children

•	 Containing gasoline and other dangerous fluids

•	 Attracting further damage and parts-stripping

•	 Becoming targets for arson

•	 Being used by the homeless or street prostitutes

•	 Being used for drug drops

•	 Occupying scarce parking spaces in urban areas

•	 Obstructing street-cleaning.
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 7

Additional problems accompany vehicles abandoned in rural 

areas, abandoned lots, or wastelands. Once a single car is 

dumped in a vacant lot or on an access road, it can attract 

other abandoned vehicles and illegal dumping, turning the 

area into a de facto junkyard.17 People often dump cars 

in remote wetlands in places like Florida, where they can 

contaminate water and obstruct storm drains.18 Removing 

junk vehicles from wetlands and other hard-to-reach locations 

can be more difficult than collecting them from city streets.

Abandoned vehicles may be viewed as 

a quality of life issue because they are 

unsightly and contribute to signs of 

disorder and decay. 

Michael Maxfield

Michael Maxfield

Once a single car is dumped in 

a vacant lot it can attract other 

abandoned vehicles and illegal 

dumping.
8 Abandoned Vehicles

Although cars have unique identifying numbers and must be 

registered with state and sometimes local agencies, keeping 

track of them and their owners can be difficult. This is 

especially true for older vehicles that may be sold and not 

registered by their new owner, intended for use as spare parts, 

not transportation. Older cars may be unregistered, while an 

owner plans to restore the vehicle to working order some day. 

If cars are subsequently abandoned, a search of the vehicle 

identification number (VIN) may produce information on the 

former owner. In a more general sense, vehicle registration 

and licensing systems have been identified as weak links 

in documenting car ownership.19 Most state agencies and 

systems were organized when the number of registered 

vehicles was much lower than it is today. 

Dealing with a lot of abandoned vehicles can be costly and 

time-consuming. Once suspected cars are reported, they 

are usually tagged, and efforts are launched to identify the 

owner. Some time must elapse between when police can flag 

a vehicle as abandoned and when they can have it removed. 

Then the police store the vehicle for a time before its ultimate 

disposition, while efforts to identify a registered owner 

continue. If people have deposited garbage or hazardous 

waste in abandoned vehicles, there can be additional costs 

of safe removal of the debris before police can have a car 

impounded. Leaking fluids or vehicle arson can produce 

additional cleanup costs.
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 9

Factors Contributing to Abandoned Vehicles

Understanding the factors that contribute to your problem 

will help you frame your own local analysis questions, 

determine good effectiveness measures, recognize key 

intervention points, and select appropriate responses. In 

general, two factors contribute to the problem: the cost of 

operating and disposing of vehicles, and the side effects of 

vehicle regulation and licensing procedures.

Cost of Operating and Disposing of Vehicles

Value of scrap metal. A steady decline in the value of scrap 

metal salvaged from junk cars and trucks was recognized 

as an important reason for increased abandoned vehicles in 

England20 and Scotland.21 If scrap metal companies pay less 

for each junk vehicle, profits are reduced for towing and autosalvage operations.22 This can increase the cost to those who 

seek to have a junk car towed away. It can also force auto 

salvage businesses to close, reducing the capacity to dispose 

of abandoned vehicles. 

On the other hand, there is at least one anecdotal report 

of how increases in the value of scrap metal may have 

caused scavenging junk dealers to collect vehicles tagged as 

abandoned in New York.23 It also appears that the value of 

scrap metal in the form of "auto bundles" (bulk crushed 

cars) has increased in global markets, more than doubling 

from 2001 to late 2007.24 Higher prices seem to have been 

accompanied by growth in the number of U.S. businesses 

offering to tow junk cars for free. This offers opportunities 
10 Abandoned Vehicles

for responses to the problem (see below).

Cost and convenience of legitimate disposal. When 

Boston banned disposal of cathode ray televisions and 

computer monitors in city garbage collection, the illegal 

dumping of these items increased.25 In a similar fashion, 

when the costs of legitimate disposal increase, people are 

more likely to abandon junk vehicles.

Less populated places such as tribal lands26 or rural areas27

often lack convenient access to scrap-vehicle operations. Or 

the distance to a scrap yard may add to the cost of having 

towing companies collect vehicles. Urban areas may have 

more ready access to scrap businesses, but people may opt 

to dump a car if they must pay for towing and legitimate 

disposal. Such incentives are stronger for low-income owners 

of low-value cars that are more likely to be scrapped. 

Cost of repair and insurance. Owners may nurse older cars 

along for several years, but eventually the repair costs will 

exceed the vehicle's value. This applies to mechanical repairs 

and serious body damage. Owners of older cars less often buy 

collision or comprehensive insurance, and may opt to junk 

rather than repair a damaged vehicle.

Cost of safety and emissions compliance. Increasingly 

stringent auto safety and emissions standards add to the cost 

of legitimate operation. Such costs may be unanticipated 

results from required inspections, and beyond owners’ ability 

to pay. The purpose for such standards is to require basic 

repairs that owners might not otherwise make. Financially 

strapped owners of older cars may abandon them as a result. 

The European Union is phasing in the End-of-Life Vehicle 
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 11

Directive (ELVD), which sets standards on the disposal of 

end-of-life vehicles. It is generally believed that the ELVD 

will at least initially increase the number of vehicles illegally 

dumped.28 An organization concerned with the quality of 

life in urban neighborhoods claims that abandoned vehicles 

increased in Boston following more stringent emission 

inspection standards in Massachusetts.29

Low-quality and "orphaned" vehicles. Cars that are poorly 

built and mechanically unreliable quickly lose value in used-car 

markets. As a result, they may be more affordable to lowerincome people who nonetheless require transportation. Such 

cars are more likely to break down and become increasing 

costly to repair. So-called "orphaned cars" are those built 

for only a few years, often because they were poorly built 

and attracted few buyers. Low-quality cars orphaned by their 

manufacturers and in need of frequent repairs become cars 

that are more difficult to economically keep and more likely to 

be abandoned.

Natural disasters. The large number of cars Hurricane 

Katrina destroyed is well documented. Less well-known is that 

thousands of cars suffering water damage have found their 

way to markets with fraudulent titles.30 These cars are certain 

to lead short, troubled lives and are probably at risk of being 

abandoned. More commonly, hurricanes and widespread 

floods seriously damage a lot of cars per event. Cleaning up 

these cars is often part of the recovery effort.
12 Abandoned Vehicles

Side Effects of Vehicle Regulation and Licensing Procedures

Auto theft and insurance fraud. Cars reported as 

abandoned, or cars bearing damage that attracts the attention 

of neighborhood residents and police, have often been stolen. 

These may be classified as abandoned, or as recovered stolen 

vehicles. Newark (New Jersey) police reported that of more 

than 26,000 vehicles towed in 2006, 539 were classified as 

abandoned, compared with 4,996 recoveries of stolen cars.31

In either case, they are identified, towed, and processed 

through similar channels. Police speculate that a reduction in 

abandoned vehicles reported in New York is a side effect of 

reduction in car theft.32

Insurance industry sources estimate that a substantial 

proportion of auto-theft claims are fraudulent.33 Staged thefts 

are also known as "give-ups," because an owner arranges 

to have a car taken. The vehicle may then be dumped in a 

remote location, burned, or otherwise totally destroyed. 

Auctions of low-value vehicles. Most jurisdictions 

store abandoned vehicles for some period of time before 

destroying those of little or no value, or arranging for them to 

be sold. The threshold for selling unclaimed cars was $500 or 

more in Connecticut.34 Typically, vehicles are sold at auction 

with low minimum bids and low selling prices, attracting 

buyers in search of low-cost transportation, or very low-end 

used-car dealers. In Washington, D.C., car auctions formerly 

required only a $25 minimum bid.35 Individuals or dealers may 

then resell these very cheap cars. Reports from Philadelphia,36

Washington, and other cities describe how people use such 

cars as "disposable transportation"—operable for a few 

weeks, then discarded. Disposable cars may be unregistered 

and, as a result, may be tagged as abandoned. 
The Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 13

§The Baltimore Transportation 

Department web site, which 

describes the department’s 

efforts to collect abandoned 

vehicles, includes lists of vehicles 

to be auctioned—more than 100 

were scheduled for an auction to 

be held October 24, 2007.37

Through this process, vehicles can be abandoned more 

than once. Old cars donated to charities may also be 

auctioned, adding to the number of junkers on city 

streets that people may later abandon.§

Registration and licensing procedures. Individual 

buyers and sellers of older cars may not complete title 

transfers or other registration requirements. One result 

might be that registration continues in the seller's name. 

Or a buyer may opt to not register the vehicle. As a 

result, no documentary trail exists, or records incorrectly 

list registration with a former owner. This makes it 

easier to eventually abandon an old vehicle, with little or 

no risk of being traced as an owner.

Long-term or unlimited parking in public facilities.

People are more likely to abandon cars at locations 

that are not regularly monitored, or places where it is 

common for vehicles to be left for extended periods. 

A discarded car may remain for an extended time on a 

city street with unmetered, unlimited parking. Similarly, 

people routinely park cars at airport lots for several days 

or more. Parking lots serving large apartment complexes 

can also be places where an unmoved vehicle goes 

unnoticed for weeks or more. Identifying abandoned 

vehicles can be difficult in these settings, until debris 

accumulates on or around a car. People may also dump 

cars on unpaved roads or tracks near parks, or on 

transportation and utility corridors.

Understanding Your Local Problem 15

Understanding Your Local Problem

The information provided above is only a generalized 

description of problems associated with abandoned vehicles. 

You must combine the basic facts with a more specific 

understanding of your local problem. Analyzing the local 

problem carefully will help you design a more effective 

response strategy. 

Stakeholders

In addition to criminal justice agencies, the following groups 

have an interest in the abandoned vehicle problem, and you 

should consider them for the contribution they might make to 

gathering information about the problem and responding to it:

Local Government Agencies 

Sanitation, environmental protection, streets and transportation, parking 

enforcement, public works, code enforcement:

Different local agencies have responsibility for regulating parking, cleaning 

streets, and abating environmental hazards. You should learn about routines and 

agency rules that may involve them in the problem of abandoned vehicles.

State-Level Agencies

Vehicle registration, inspection, and licensing; state police; environmental 

protection:

State agencies are sources of information about vehicle registration. Obtaining 

timely, accurate information about ownership is important. State environmental 

protection agencies may be sources of assistance in cleaning up large vehicle 

dump sites. Other state agencies may regulate auto repair shops, auction 

facilities, and scrap yards.

Federal Agencies

Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

The BLM has jurisdiction over large federal lands where people may dump 

vehicles. The federal EPA has developed programs for cleaning up dump sites 

on tribal lands.
16 Abandoned Vehicles

§ See the Problem-Solving Tools 

guide Partnering With Businesses 

To Address Public Safety Problems

for further information on this 

class of stakeholders. 

Neighborhood Residents:

People should know how to recognize and report suspected abandoned vehicles 

in their neighborhood.

Tribal Land and Village Leaders:

The EPA publication Tribal Waste Journal offers examples of responses to waste 

disposal problems on tribal lands. Informal junk-vehicle dump sites are among 

the problems that have been addressed with the cooperation of tribal leaders.

Vacant Land or Brownfield Owners:

Where private land becomes a site for dumped vehicles, property owners should 

be involved in developing responses to the problem. Owners may welcome 

cleanup campaigns and assistance in blocking access roads to vacant lots.§

Vehicle Towing and Storage Operators:

Most jurisdictions contract with private towing and storage operators. Any 

efforts to revise procedures for collecting abandoned vehicles will require 

collaborating with these businesses.

Auto Scrap Yards:

Scrap businesses are important resources for collecting or accepting abandoned 

vehicles of little value. Cleanup campaigns should be conducted in collaboration 

with scrap yards. Web-based information for disposing of junk cars should 

include listings of these businesses.

Junk-Car Collection Services:

If available in your location, these services may be useful resources for 

collecting unwanted vehicles.

Vehicle Auction Facilities:

Vehicle auctions are sources of older cars that may soon be abandoned, 

becoming a type of disposable transportation. Some jurisdictions have required 

that auction facilities set a higher minimum bid to reduce the number of lowvalue cars recycled to city streets.

Crushing-and Baling-Equipment Manufacturers and Dealers:

Jurisdictions in less populated areas may regularly rent portable car crushers as 

part of an annual cleanup initiative.

Hazardous Waste Abatement Services:

If junk vehicle dump sites are found in your jurisdiction, it may be necessary to 

engage hazardous waste disposal services. Such services may also be necessary 

if dumped vehicles contaminate waterways.
Understanding Your Local Problem 17

Asking the Right Questions

The following are some critical questions you should ask in 

analyzing your community's abandoned-vehicle problem, even 

if the answers are not always readily available. Your answers 

to these and other questions will help you choose the most 

appropriate set of responses later on.

Locations/Times

•	 Are abandoned vehicles found in particular locations 

or types of locations? What percentage are located on 

public streets? On other public property, such as parks or 

transportation corridors? On private property?

•	 Are abandoned vehicles concentrated in particular dumping 

spots, or are they individually left on streets? Why do these 

sites attract vehicle dumping?

•	 For sites that attract multiple vehicles, how do people 

access them? Do sites adjoin public roads? Are sites 

posted? If barriers have been present, have they been 

removed or damaged?

•	 Are abandoned vehicles more common in some 

neighborhoods?

•	 Are vehicles abandoned at particular times? Or do they 

seem to accumulate over extended periods?

Incidents

•	 How many abandoned vehicles are reported or recorded? 

How many are collected? 

•	 Has there been any recent change in the scope or scale of 

the problem?

•	 How are abandoned vehicles defined and detected? Citizen 

reports? On view by routine police patrol? By sanitation or 

street-sweeping crews?
18 Abandoned Vehicles

•	 What are the cars’ condition? Are they operable or intact? 

Or do cars have damage or missing components?

•	 Why are vehicles dumped? Are they old, inoperable 

cars? Are vehicles operable but unable to pass safety or 

emissions inspections? How many dumped vehicles can be 

linked to theft or fraudulent theft reports? Are burned-out 

vehicles abandoned? Do thieves burn stolen cars? 

•	 Are vehicles abandoned individually, or dumped in groups?

•	 Do abandoned vehicles move? Is there evidence that 

people are using junk cars for local and/or communal 

transportation?

•	 Do abandoned vehicles disappear after being tagged or 

reported? Does a prominent sticker alert gray-market scrap 

dealers that they may collect a car?

•	 Are abandoned vehicles contributing to other forms of 

social disorder? Are they used as drug drops? Do homeless 

people sleep in them? Do street prostitutes use them?

Environmental Hazards

•	 Do dump sites pose additional environmental problems, 

such as drainage obstruction or water contamination?

•	 Do abandoned vehicles contain refuse, debris, or hazardous 

materials? Does it appear that cars are filled with additional 

waste before being dumped? Can any additional waste be 

traced to particular sources?

•	 Does it appear that cars are stripped after being 

abandoned? What parts or components are taken? Or are 

parts removed before cars are dumped?
Understanding Your Local Problem 19

Community Perceptions and Resources 

•	 How concerned are community residents about the 

problem? Are concerns greater in some neighborhoods 

than in others?

•	 Do property owners complain about abandoned vehicles? 

•	 Is information about reporting abandoned vehicles readily 

available to residents? What about disposing of unwanted 

vehicles?

Current Practice: Reporting 

•	 What is the definition of an “abandoned vehicle”? How 

long must vehicles be unattended before they can be 

declared abandoned? Does the time vary by type of road 

or other location?

•	 What local agencies are responsible for tagging vehicles as 

abandoned? Do police have discretion to declare vehicles 

as hazards and have them collected immediately?

•	 Do vehicle registration and computer systems make it 

possible to trace vehicle registration and VIN’s quickly? 

Do people responsible for identifying abandoned vehicles 

have adequate access to data systems?

•	 What proportion of abandoned vehicles is not linked to a 

registered owner? What proportion has no record in state 

vehicle-records systems?

•	 How much notice must be posted on abandoned vehicles 

before they can be towed? What are the requirements for 

contacting vehicle owners? 

•	 What on-street parking regulations might affect the 

identification of abandoned vehicles? How often must 

vehicles be moved before they can be cited for parking 

violations? Are periodic on-street parking prohibitions 

routinely monitored?
20 Abandoned Vehicles

•	 How do residents report suspected abandoned vehicles? 

Are special telephone numbers or web-based forms 

available?

•	 Are property owners and managers required to post notice 

that vehicles parked without permission will be removed 

at the vehicle owner’s expense? Can property owners have 

government agencies or contractors tow vehicles? Or must 

they be towed and disposed of at the property owner's 

expense?

Current Practice: Towing and Disposition

•	 What are the arrangements for towing and storing 

abandoned vehicles? Are public agencies or private 

contractors used? How long must vehicles be kept before 

they are disposed of? 

•	 Do auto auction facilities operate in your area? If so, how 

often are cars auctioned? Are auctions open to the public, 

or to registered dealers only? What minimum bids are 

required? What are documentary requirements?

•	 How far is the nearest auto salvage yard that accepts junk 

vehicles? Will it collect junk cars from individuals? What 

fees, if any, does it charge?

•	 Are owners required to pay for having derelict vehicles 

collected?

•	 Do private vehicle-collection services operate in your area? 

If so, what are the terms of service? Is collection available 

only for owners who can produce a vehicle title?

•	 What fines and other penalties are imposed for 

abandoning a vehicle on public property?

•	 Are provisions for neighborhood cleanup campaigns 

supported in your jurisdiction? Could abandoned-vehicle 

initiatives be routed to existing cleanup efforts?
Understanding Your Local Problem 21

Measuring Your Effectiveness

Measurement allows you to determine to what degree your 

efforts have succeeded, and suggests how you might modify 

your responses if they are not producing the intended 

results. You should take measures of your problem before you 

implement responses, to determine how serious the problem is, 

and after you implement them, to determine whether they have 

been effective. You should take all measures in both the target 

area and the surrounding area. For more detailed guidance on 

measuring effectiveness, see the Problem-Solving Tools guide 

Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for Police 

Problem-Solvers. 

The following are potentially useful measures of the 

effectiveness of responses to abandoned vehicles:

•	 Fewer vehicles collected in cleanup initiatives

•	 Fewer citizen reports of abandoned vehicles

•	 Fewer vehicles tagged as abandoned

•	 Fewer vehicles towed

•	 Reduced time between initial report and collection,

•	 Increase in junk vehicles disposed of through private 

collectors

•	 Fewer abandoned vehicles sold at government auction

•	 Increased proportion of vehicles disposed of as scrap

•	 Reduction in vehicle arson

•	 Reduced expenditures on towing and disposing of 

abandoned vehicles

•	 Reduced citizen perceptions of abandoned vehicles as 

problems

•	 Fewer abandoned vehicles observed at known dump sites 

•	 Reduced number of vehicles meeting abandoned-vehicle 

definition criteria observed on streets. 
22 Abandoned Vehicles

You can extract most of these measures from existing forms 

routinely used to collect information and document actions 

taken. The last two involve observational surveys that can take 

different forms. You can select and survey sample streets over 

some specific period. Or observation can supplement routine 

public services, such as street-cleaning or parking enforcement. 

This can be done periodically or regularly. In connection with 

a cleanup in Erie County (Pennsylvania) observational surveys 

were conducted to assess the scope of discarded vehicles on 

county roads. After implementing collection and enforcement 

measures, follow-up observation surveys were completed four 

to five months later.38,§ 

§ For additional Information 

on conducting observational 

surveys, seeBureau Review of 

Justice Assistance (1993) and 

Maxfield (2001).
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 23

Responses to the Problem of Abandoned 

Vehicles

Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better 

understanding of the factors contributing to it. Once you 

have analyzed your local problem and established a baseline 

for measuring effectiveness, you should consider possible 

responses to address the problem. 

The following response strategies provide a foundation 

of ideas for addressing your particular problem. These 

strategies are drawn from a variety of research studies and 

police reports. Several of these strategies may apply to your 

community’s problem. It is critical that you tailor responses 

to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response 

based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy 

will involve implementing several different responses. Law 

enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing 

or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering 

what police can do: carefully consider whether others in your 

community share responsibility for the problem and can help 

police better respond to it. In some cases, you may need to 

shift the responsibility of responding toward those who have 

the capacity to implement more-effective responses. (For more 

detailed information on shifting and sharing responsibility, 

see Response Guide No. 3, Shifting and Sharing Responsibility for 

Public Safety Problems.)
24 Abandoned Vehicles

General Considerations for an Effective Response 

Strategy

Few systematic evaluations have been conducted on 

responses to the problem of abandoned vehicles. Most 

information on responses comes from brief reports of U.S. 

initiatives or descriptions of more-extensive U.K. actions. 

Most U.K. initiatives have resulted from two large-scale 

policy changes. First is the End-of-Life Vehicle 

Directive (ELVD) issued by the European Union.39 The 

ELVD specifies extensive steps to safely dispose of vehicles 

and their components, together with cost-sharing that 

adds disposal fees to new cars sold in European Union 

member states. Second is an enhanced national focus on 

antisocial behavior as a public safety and disorder problem.40

Abandoned vehicles are among the types of disorder linked 

to this new focus.41

As a result, the best that can be offered from promising 

responses is some evidence that more vehicles are being 

collected, or fewer are being abandoned. In many cases, 

such evidence is helpful in tailoring responses to your local 

problem.

Most strategies for dealing with abandoned vehicles will 

require coordination with agencies and other organizations 

beyond police. Because so many different stakeholders 

are involved in the abandoned-vehicle problem, it is 

usually necessary to work with different individuals and 

organizations. 
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 25

It may also be advisable to propose changes in local or state 

laws for defining and addressing the problem of abandoned 

vehicles. Police play a major role in vehicle regulation and 

public safety, and should be prepared to propose changes 

that would more effectively address problems associated with 

abandoned vehicles.

Specific Responses to Reduce Abandoned Vehicles

Responses to abandoned vehicles are best considered in 

two broad categories: those that center on identifying and 

removing them, and those that prevent vehicles from being 

dumped.

Removing Abandoned Vehicles

1. Identifying and reporting abandoned vehicles. It is 

important to have clear guidelines for designating a vehicle 

as abandoned. This makes it possible for police, other 

public workers, and private residents to recognize and 

report them as soon as possible. 

•	 The Albuquerque (New Mexico) Police Department 

incorporates a detailed description into its online web site 

for reporting abandoned vehicles (www.cabq.gov/police/

abandonedvehicleform.html).

•	 The Philadelphia Police Department online reporting 

form includes diagrams of cars to aid in reporting vehicle 

condition and identifying individual vehicles 

(www.ppdonline.org/rpts/rpts_abanauto_frm.php).

•	 The British organization Encams, which collaborates with 

governments on environmental policy, offers a detailed 

public information page on abandoned vehicles 

(www.encams.org/advice/main2.asp?pageid=39).
26 Abandoned Vehicles

As part of a statewide effort to address the abandonedvehicle problem, Michigan enhanced online information about 

registration and towing. The "Auto lost and found" web site 

provides access to police, authorized towing contractors, 

and vehicle owners. The site also includes a description of 

different categories of abandoned vehicles, distinguishing 

junkers from those left on highways after mechanical 

breakdowns (www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1640_1483

7-123588--,00.html).

2. Coordinating with other agencies. In addition to 

police, sanitation department workers make regular trips 

throughout cities and settled rural areas. Street-cleaning is 

a regular activity in many cities. Police and other agency 

personnel who routinely travel through a jurisdiction 

should be aware of signs that a vehicle is abandoned, 

and develop standard reporting practices. Parking and 

street-cleaning regulations can be useful for identifying 

abandoned vehicles. Street parking can be banned 

overnight, rendering any vehicle parked after a certain hour 

eligible for removal.42 Periodic no-parking zones, possibly 

linked to street-cleaning, also make it more difficult to 

abandon a vehicle inconspicuously among parked cars.

Parking and street-cleaning regulations can be 

useful for identifying abandoned vehicles.

Michael Maxfield
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 27

3. Removing derelict vehicles as quickly as possible.

The longer abandoned vehicles remain on streets, the 

more likely they are to be targets of vandalism, arson, and 

other harmful activities. In less populated places, dump 

sites emerge as the presence of one dumped car begins 

to attract others. Recognizing that abandoned vehicles are 

hazardous to traffic, public safety, and the environment, 

generally, can be an important lever in reducing the 

interval between reporting and removing. In this regard, 

it is important to distinguish between derelict vehicles of 

little value and disabled cars that present immediate traffic 

hazards. Michigan reduced the time interval for designating 

vehicles as abandoned in many types of sites from 48 to 24 

hours. This reduced the number of cars further damaged 

by vandals and resulted in more vehicles’ being returned to 

owners.43 A variety of U.K. initiatives have been launched 

to quickly identify and remove abandoned vehicles. Often 

this requires reducing the time between identifying and 

removing a vehicle. 

•	 In Operation Magpie, police in the local areas of Cleveland 

and Redcar, England, circumvented a required sevenday notice period by immediately removing abandoned 

vehicles to a central location; after seven days, they could be 

recycled.44

•	 Operation Cubit, in Kent County, England, reduced the 

notice period from seven to 15 days to immediate removal 

for categories of cars.45

•	 Police in Avon and Somerset, England, revised a previous 

seven-day notice period to allow immediate removal if a 

vehicle was obviously inoperable. “Communal” vehicles—

unregistered but operable cars used by several people—

were removed within 30 minutes of identification.46
28 Abandoned Vehicles

•	 Many U.S. cities have recently reduced the amount of 

time that elapses before a tagged vehicle can be removed. 

In most cases, the shorter time—two to three days—was 

established in response to citizen complaints, or drains on 

police resources that resulted from continuing to monitor 

vehicles over two weeks or more.47 You should devote 

some thought to how abandoned vehicles are tagged. 

Experience in the United Kingdom indicates that large, 

conspicuous stickers may attract scavengers or arsonists 

before a car can be towed.48 Anecdotal reports from 

New York City indicate that scrap-metal scavengers may 

collect vehicles prominently tagged as abandoned before 

the sanitation department can tow them.49

4. Establishing routines for long-term parking facilities.

Cars abandoned at long-term parking facilities and in 

areas where it's common for vehicles to be parked for 

extended periods present special problems. Airport 

parking lots are examples of facilities where people can 

park cars unnoticed for extended periods. Boston's Logan 

Airport starts trying to contact owners after cars have 

been parked for one month or more.50 A maximum time 

period for legal parking, coupled with daily or other regular 

inventories, can help identify abandoned vehicles more 

quickly. License-recognition equipment, used in some 

airport parking inventories, can automate the process of 

identifying cars parked for unreasonably long periods.
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 29

5. Cleaning up in abandoned vehicle "sweeps." Largescale cleanup campaigns are most useful in cases where 

abandoned vehicles have accumulated over some time. 

Concentrations may occur in specific neighborhoods or 

citywide in urban areas. Cleanup campaigns have been 

conducted in cities (Philadelphia; Washington; Detroit; 

Omaha, Nebraska) and in less populated areas (Erie 

County, tribal lands). They are sometimes combined with 

amnesty campaigns (described below) that allow owners to 

dispose of unwanted cars for free. Or abandoned vehicle 

sweeps can be combined with cleanup campaigns that 

target neighborhood blight or illegal dumping.51 Most such 

efforts require working with neighborhood and business 

associations, as well as the usual organizations involved 

with processing abandoned cars. It may be possible to 

finance abandoned-vehicle sweeps with grant funds or 

contributions from business or service organizations.

Since they usually go beyond routine practice, cleanups require 

three key elements:

•	 Contracting with towing companies to remove vehicles

•	 Publicizing the campaign, along with special provisions for 

reporting vehicles

•	 Supplementing routines for identifying owners and 

disposing of vehicles.

Sweeps can be efficient when contracts are issued to towing 

contractors and scrap yards that will collect and dispose of junk 

cars. This might include temporary deployment of numerous 

tow trucks, or renting portable car-crushing equipment.52 

Rapidly collecting and crushing derelict cars was a key feature of 

the U.K.’s Operation Cubit, set up in many cities.53,§

§Police in Fort Myers (Florida)54

worked with business owners 

and neighborhood residents to 

clean up trash and junk cars from 

a commercial strip and nearby 

residential areas. More than 200 

cars were removed, building code 

violations were cited, stray shopping 

carts were collected, and vacant lots, 

generally, were cleaned up.
30 Abandoned Vehicles

6. Using community volunteers. Abandoned-vehicle 

problems are well-suited to police-citizen collaboration.55 

Handling the problem of abandoned vehicles every 

day can be time- consuming. Vehicles must be viewed 

(either through routine patrol or in response to reports), 

tagged, revisited after the time window for towing, and 

towed. Using volunteers can increase reporting and speed 

the removal of junk cars, without requiring additional 

uniformed resources. Volunteers can also be trained to 

identify communal vehicles. Some jurisdictions draw 

on auxiliary or similar groups of volunteers to help 

identify, report, and monitor vehicles that appear to be 

abandoned. San Diego and Claremont (California) are 

examples of cities that use senior-citizen volunteers 

to help with traffic control and abandoned-vehicle 

abatement (www.volunteermatch.org/orgs/org14553.

html). Police in Austin, Texas, have used participants 

in a Volunteers in Policing program to tag and monitor 

abandoned vehicles (www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/

volunteers.htm). London’s Metropolitan Police have 

begun using street wardens as part of a communitybased initiative to monitor illegal dumping and 

abandoned vehicles.56

7. Publicizing the problem. Especially in urban areas, 

people may not recognize the signs that vehicles 

are abandoned. Publicity describing how to identify 

abandoned vehicles by recognizing features of a vehicle's 

condition can encourage residents to report suspected 

abandoned/communal vehicles. People living in less 

populated areas can be urged to report suspected dump 

sites. U.K. environmental organizations have proposed 

general publicity campaigns and implemented them in 

several local areas.57 Providing online web forms or 

distinctive public information campaigns can encourage 
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 31

people to report. In East Northhamptonshire, England, 

the End-of-Life Vehicle Impoundment Scheme (ELVIS) 

displays a caricature of Elvis Presley singing into a 

telephone, together with information on how to identify 

and report abandoned vehicles (www.northants.police.uk/

default.asp?action=article&ID=8684). Publicity can also 

make people aware of opportunities for volunteer service 

and how to properly dispose of unwanted cars.

Preventing Vehicles from Being Abandoned

8. Making legitimate disposal cheaper and easier.

Eliminating vehicle collection and/or disposal fees reduces 

incentives for illegal dumping. Local U.K. councils routinely 

offer free disposal.58 This can be especially important for 

people who can afford to drive only older, unreliable cars, 

and therefore will be less willing to pay disposal costs. In 

most cases, the cost of tagging, marking, and collecting 

abandoned vehicles will be higher than revenue lost from 

reducing or eliminating fees.59 Also, additional trash or 

hazardous waste may be deposited in abandoned cars that 

linger on city streets; auto scrap dealers may not accept 

cars that contain additional waste. Making legitimate 

disposal easier is also important, especially in less populated 

areas distant from scrap yards or recyclers.60 Periodically 

arranging for portable car crushers can be useful in rural 

areas. In some cases, portable car crushers temporarily 

used to package scrap metal can also accommodate 

junk vehicles.61 Or local and county governments might 

collaborate to buy car crushers that would serve as a 

regional resource for vehicle disposal.62
32 Abandoned Vehicles

9. Using amnesty campaigns. If it is not feasible to reduce 

or eliminate car disposal fees, it may be possible to organize 

periodic amnesty periods when people can arrange to have 

junk vehicles collected for free. These initiatives may be 

combined with large-scale cleanup campaigns in which 

towing companies and car scrap businesses are enlisted to 

cover a particular city or area.63 One comprehensive U.K. 

initiative offered a reward of about $15 for turning in a 

junk car with proper documentation.64

10. Promoting private junk-car collection services. An 

increasing number of junk-car disposal services have 

become available in response to increases in scrap metal’s 

value. JunkMyCar.com claims to operate in all states. 

Users enter a zip code to begin the process of locating an 

affiliated towing company in the area. Other services offer 

to collect old cars, which are donated to charities. Local 

contractors who are affiliated with these consolidation 

services arrange to collect old vehicles and offer tax 

deductions for charity contributions. The legitimacy of 

such services—hidden costs, for example—should be 

investigated before promoting them. Though no studies 

exist, it is likely that car owners will use such services 

more as alternate ways to dispose of junk vehicles 

legitimately rather than to prevent vehicles from being 

abandoned. 

11. Using publicity to promote legitimate disposal.

Publicity can help prevent vehicles from being dumped 

by making people aware of how old vehicles can be 

disposed of, and by alerting the public to additional 

harms associated with abandoned vehicles. Publicity is 

best coupled with other initiatives, such as amnesty, free 

pickup and disposal, or sweeps to collect unwanted cars.65

The New York City Sanitation Department includes 
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 33

information about how to locate scrap car dealers on its 

web site for reporting abandoned vehicles. In an effort to 

encourage cleanups of illegal dumps and abandoned cars 

on tribal lands, the U.S. EPA described success stories 

in selected areas.66 In the United Kingdom, publicity 

campaigns use a type of shaming to reduce illegal 

dumping of cars and other large waste.67

12. Increasing the threshold value for scrapping vehicles.

Most jurisdictions distinguish impounded vehicles as 

having resale or only scrap value. Setting higher thresholds 

for designating vehicles as having resale value can reduce 

the number of older, low-cost vehicles that are sold at 

auction and likely to be abandoned later.68 This has greater 

potential if local dealers sell auctioned cars. If cars valued 

at less than, say, $1,500 are crushed and sold as scrap, they 

cannot later be resold and abandoned. This disrupts the 

cycle of abandonment, resale, and re-abandonment. U.K. 

initiatives encourage local governments to scrap a larger 

proportion of impounded vehicles rather than selling 

them at auction.69 This can also reduce the problem 

of "invisible" or communal vehicles.70 Increasing the 

threshold for scrapping vehicles is especially appropriate 

when the value of scrap metal rises. 

13. Increasing minimum bids at car auctions. Auctions of 

old or damaged vehicles can be a source of junk cars that 

are eventually abandoned or used as unregistered vehicles. 

Having low minimum bids increases the likelihood that 

the most decrepit vehicles will be back on the road. 

Washington, D.C., increased the minimum bid from $25 

to $500, then later reduced it to $250 when auction sales 

declined too sharply.71 This response requires working 

with auction houses and related businesses.72,§

§People are more likely to abandon 

older, low-cost vehicles or use 

them as community transportation. 

Restricting the sale of such vehicles 

can reduce the number of junk cars 

that are eventually dumped. This 

can be complicated, since auctions 

of impounded cars, many of which 

have been previously collected as 

abandoned vehicles, may recycle junk 

cars back to the streets. In addition, 

businesses that collect or consolidate 

cars for charity may sell them to auto 

auction houses and further contribute 

to the problem.
34 Abandoned Vehicles

14. Working with low-end used-car dealers. Responses 

to increase scrap thresholds and minimum auction bids 

can affect low-end used-car dealers who buy older cars 

at auctions for local resale. In some cases, "dealers" may 

sell very few cars as a sort of part-time business, but still 

contribute to the flow of older cars back onto the streets, 

in a kind of gray market for low-cost transportation.73

A side effect of strategies to increase minimum bids at 

auctions while raising the threshold for scrapping vehicles 

is the decreased availability of low-end used cars. Police 

can work with dealers in two ways: (1) describing how the 

low-end vehicle market contributes to abandoned-vehicle 

problems, while explaining efforts to reduce that problem; 

and (2) initiating more careful scrutiny of VIN’s and 

documents.74

15. Adjusting rules for parking and street-cleaning.

Because unlimited street parking can conceal an 

abandoned vehicle for extended periods, parking rules 

that require cars to be moved periodically can increase 

the difficulty of dumping vehicles on public streets. 

An extreme example is prohibiting overnight parking, 

a response that cannot be used where street-parking 

is common. Areas where overnight street-parking 

by residents is the norm could implement local-area 

residential parking permits. This makes it easier to 

identify cars that are illegally parked, aiding both formal 

and informal surveillance. Jurisdictions that have regular 

street-cleaning can also make it more difficult to abandon 

a vehicle unobtrusively.

16. Securing dump sites. Sites that attract dumping of junk 

vehicles and other waste usually combine access with lack 

of surveillance. In urban areas, these include abandoned 

factories, transportation access roads, and other urban 

wastelands. People often access dump sites in rural and 
Responses to the Problem of Abandoned Vehicles 35

less populated areas via rough roads or trails.75 Restricting 

access can prevent dumping at all types of sites. This 

might include installing or repairing gates. In urban areas, 

CCTV can add surveillance. Such responses require 

working with other agencies in the case of government 

facilities, or with private property owners.76

17. Assisting property owners at sites where people 

dump cars. Some parking lots cannot be fenced or gated; 

those serving large apartment complexes or shopping 

malls are examples. You can encourage managers to 

conduct regular inventories of cars parked on their 

property. Apartment complexes that offer parking 

should record tenants’ license plate numbers. Such places 

should also post notice that unauthorized vehicles will 

be towed. Police can work with owners and managers to 

develop routines for identifying and removing suspected 

abandoned vehicles.

18. Assessing cost-of-disposal fees. The European Union 

ELV directive requires that member countries establish 

programs for junk vehicles to be properly disposed of at 

no cost to the last registered owner. Further, effective in 

2007, individual countries must require that manufacturers 

pay for all or most of the cost of disposing of vehicles 

they produce.77 Policies for implementing the directive 

are still under development, and such legislative initiatives 

are beyond the scope of local police agencies. However, 

some U.S. jurisdictions have supplemented local vehicleregistration fees to offset vehicle disposal costs. The city 

of Juneau, Alaska, added $22 to the cost of a two-year 

local vehicle registration to cover the costs of handling an 

estimated 700 abandonedvehicles each year.78 More than 

30 years ago, California assessed an abandoned-vehicle 

abatement fee on all cars registered in the state. That has 

since devolved to counties, authorizing them to supplement 

local registration fees to offset vehicle disposal costs.79
36 Abandoned Vehicles

19. Anticipating seasonal abandonment. If data indicate 

that people abandon vehicles at some regular interval—

the end of summer at seaside communities, or the end 

of term in university towns—it is advisable to launch 

publicity and other initiatives in anticipation. In much the 

same way that jurisdictions prepare for large-scale disposal 

of shabby furniture in college towns as students move 

on, amnesty and large-scale cleanups can be launched. 

If airport parking lots are subject to seasonal dumping, 

inventories of parked cars can be enhanced during those 

times. A similar strategy is to develop plans for problems 

following natural disasters that damage or destroy a lot of 

vehicles.80

Responses with Limited Effectiveness

20. Increasing fines for vehicle abandonment. The cost 

of tracking down owners of dumped vehicles can quickly 

exceed the amount recovered through fines. It may 

not be possible to locate the last registered owner of a 

dumped vehicle. If found, the last registered owner may 

claim to have sold or given the car away, or claim that 

someone stole the car. These difficulties are multiplied in 

jurisdictions where people abandon a lot of cars.

21. Increasing fees for collecting unwanted vehicles. 

This response counters the economic incentives that 

encourage vehicle abandonment. As the cost or difficulty 

of legitimate disposal increases, people will illegally dump 

more vehicles.
Appendix 37

Appendix: Summary of Responses to 

Abandoned Vehicles

The table below summarizes the responses to abandoned 

vehicles, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, 

the conditions under which they ought to work best, and 

some factors you should consider before implementing a 

particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to 

local circumstances, and that you can justify each response 

based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy 

will involve implementing several different responses. Law 

enforce-ment responses alone are seldom effective in reducing 

or solving the problem.

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

Removing Abandoned Vehicles

1 25 Identifying 

and reporting 

abandoned 

vehicles

It distinguishes 

vehicles parked or 

left temporarily from 

those abandoned

...it is accompanied by 

specific descriptions of 

vehicle condition and 

component damage

Time interval and location 

are important. Vehicles that 

present immediate traffic 

hazards, or those left in areas 

where parking is clearly not 

permitted, may be 

considered abandoned. Also 

distinguish stolen cars that 

thieves abandon

2 26 Coordinating 

with other 

agencies

Departments of 

sanitation and streets 

also monitor cars 

illegally parked and 

may notice signs of 

abandonment before 

police patrol

...interagency 

protocols or 

descriptions are clear 

and widely shared

It depends on agency 

missions, and on how 

frequently streets are cleaned
38 Abandoned Vehicles

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

3 27 Removing 

derelict vehicles 

as quickly as 

possible

Vehicles that are 

obviously damaged 

or derelict may 

attract vandals or 

other undesirable 

users

...awareness of the 

problem is wide spread, 

and people are easily 

able to recognize signs 

of abandonment

Location is important. Cars 

presenting immediate hazards 

or that are burnt out should be 

removed as quickly as possible. 

Abandoned vehicles signal and 

contribute to neighborhood 

decay

4 28 Establishing 

routines for 

long term 

parking 

facilities

Abandoned 

vehicles are more 

easily concealed 

among other cars 

parked at long term 

facilities like airports. 

Regular inventories 

are required to 

recognize out of 

place cars

...parking facilities 

are subject to regular 

inventory, making long 

term, out of place cars 

more easily recognized

Vehicle condition and 

location—for example, very 

old junkers parked in expensive 

short-term lots—may offer 

clues. Cars may be towed 

pending owner identification 

5 29 Cleaning up 

in abandoned 

vehicle 

“sweeps”

It signals that the 

problem is being 

taken seriously, and 

it can be economical

...a lot of vehicles 

are concentrated, 

abandoned cars have 

accumulated, and 

contracts can be 

issued with towing and 

salvage companies

It may be combined with 

neighborhood cleanups. 

It can be scheduled as an 

annual or periodic effort in 

less populated areas where 

legitimate disposal is less 

convenient

6 30 Using 

community 

volunteers

Identifying, tagging, 

and monitoring 

possible abandoned 

vehicles is time 

consuming and 

might be set aside 

as a low priority 

activity. Citizen 

volunteers increase 

monitoring, and area 

residents have stakes 

in neighborhood 

quality of life

...citizen volunteer 

programs exist in 

police or other 

departments, and 

abandoned cars are 

considered a quality of 

life problem in urban 

areas 

It may be combined with 

other community policing 

initiatives, or started as an 

initial community policing 

activity. Local businesses 

may also support it. It may 

be combined with periodic 

cleanup campaigns
Appendix 39

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

7 30 Publicizing the 

problem

Reporting possible 

abandoned vehicles 

requires that people 

know what to look 

for, and that junk 

cars are problems. It 

publicizes collateral 

problems such as 

hazards to children 

and criminal uses of 

abandoned cars

...reporting can be 

made easier via web 

sites or other initiatives, 

and it is coupled with 

initiatives to collect 

abandoned cars. It may 

attract more support if 

combined with other 

cleanup efforts

Distinguish old cars from 

abandoned cars. Some viewed 

as abandoned may be used as 

sources for spare parts; this 

should be examined in the 

problem-assessment stage

Preventing Vehicles from Being Abandoned

8 31 Making 

legitimate 

disposal 

cheaper and 

easier

It offers a less costly 

and legal route to 

dispose of unwanted 

vehicles; low income 

people are more 

likely to drive older 

cars and less able 

to afford disposal 

fees. Illegal dumping 

generally increases 

if legal disposal 

becomes more 

difficult

...free pickup and 

disposal, or convenient 

pickup, is available

It may cost more in rural or 

remote areas, but these places 

will be most in need of more 

convenient disposal

9 32 Using amnesty 

campaigns

Like periodic 

bulk trash pickup, 

periodic free 

disposal targets 

accumulations of 

junk cars

...it is widely 

publicized and offered 

regularly

It may require contracting with 

towing and scrap companies
40 Abandoned Vehicles

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

10 32 Promoting junk 

car collection 

services

The increased value 

of scrap metal has 

made junk cars more 

valuable; it appears 

to be a growing 

market as private 

firms contract 

with local towing 

companies

...services contain 

no hidden fees, 

services are widely 

publicized, and there 

is information on local 

web sites

It is more difficult to recover 

cars from remote areas, so 

services may add collection 

fees. It may be possible to 

negotiate pickups in 

connection with sweeps

11 32 Using publicity 

to promote 

legitimate 

disposal

It appeals to 

public understanding 

of the harms caused 

by abandoned 

vehicles. There is 

some element of 

shaming

...it is coupled with 

information on how to 

dispose of junk cars

Combine this response 

with the promotion of car 

collection services

12 33 Increasing the 

threshold value 

for scrapping 

vehicles

It reduces the 

number of low cost 

vehicles available for 

purchase; scrapped 

vehicles cannot 

return to streets to 

be abandoned again 

later

...the value of scrap 

metal is high—it 

has increased since 

2001—and the market 

for scrapped vehicles is 

readily available

It requires cooperation from 

auto auction operations and 

dealers

13 33 Increasing 

minimum bids 

at car auctions

Very low bids mean 

people buy junk 

cars more often 

and later abandon 

them. Increasing 

bids reduces sales of 

junkers

...it is coupled with 

response 12

It requires cooperation from 

auto auction operations or 

from some authority that 

regulates auction terms
Appendix 41

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

14 34 Working with 

low end used 

car dealers

They may be a 

source for very 

low cost, unreliable 

cars that are later 

abandoned. It signals 

to dealers that their 

role is of interest

...police have a routine 

role in inspecting auto 

dealers, and there is 

legitimate scrutiny of 

used car practices

Consult with auto dealer 

associations

15 34 Adjusting rules 

for parking and 

street-cleaning

It increases the 

routine monitoring 

of streets, which 

reduces the ability to 

conceal abandoned 

cars among legally 

parked cars

...the rules are 

implemented in 

urban areas where 

on-street parking is 

the norm, and parking 

enforcement and street 

cleaning personnel can 

easily arrange to have 

vehicles tagged/towed

It acts to regularly churn 

parked cars, making those 

not moved more visible and 

subject to collection. It 

requires the capacity to 

monitor and tow cars in 

violation

16 34 Securing dump 

sites

It removes access to 

places where people 

dump vehicles

...access can be readily 

restricted, or access 

is limited to a narrow 

road or gate

It requires property owners’ 

cooperation. It might be costly. 

It might be combined with 

CCTV monitoring

17 35 Assisting 

property 

owners at sites 

where people 

dump cars

It educates 

property owners 

to recognize, 

respond to, and 

prevent vehicle 

abandonment; 

vehicles are 

detected and 

removed earlier

...parking lots or 

other facilities cannot 

be secured, long-term 

parking is a norm, and 

it is possible to keep a 

list of authorized users

It requires property owners’ 

cooperation. It may be 

combined with other 

initiatives in multiunit parking 

facilities, such as CCTV

18 35 Assessing cost 

of disposal fees

It produces a 

revenue stream to 

offset the costs of 

handling abandoned 

vehicles

...local registration 

is in place, and it is a 

supplement to local 

registration fees

Cost-sharing with 

manufacturers, as in Europe, is 

not likely in the United States. 

A previous statewide fund in 

California devolved to local 

governments
42 Abandoned Vehicles

Response 

No.

Page 

No.

Response How It Works Works Best If... Considerations

19 36 Anticipating 

seasonal 

abandonment

It provides increased 

publicity or junk-car 

collection capacity 

during times when 

abandonment is 

more likely

...seasonal patterns 

of abandonment are 

evident—resort 

areas or places 

with large numbers 

of students are 

examples—and an 

added capacity for 

collecting cars can be 

readily deployed

It is similar to planning for 

natural disasters, where a lot 

of vehicles may be damaged or 

destroyed

Responses With Limited Effectiveness

20 36 Increasing fines 

for vehicle 

abandonment

It requires 

identifying and 

locating vehicle 

owners

It can be very time-consuming. 

Police may locate previous 

owners who have sold the 

vehicle, or they may not locate 

any owner. It is very resourceintensive

21 36 Increasing 

fees to collect 

unwanted 

vehicles

It is likely to 

increase 

abandonment by 

increasing costs of 

legitimate dis-posal

Locate private-sector towing 

companies and scrap dealers 

who will collect vehicles at 

lower costs
Endnotes 43

Endnotes

1. Great Britain. Department for Environment, Food and 

Rural Affairs (2006).

2. Heffron Transportation Inc. (2002).

3. City of New York (2007).

4. Burton and Ung (2000).

5. Michigan Department of State (2006).

6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2007); Erie 

Metropolitan Planning Department (1975); Skerritt 

(2006).

7. Heart of the City (2007a).

8. Daniel (2006).

9. Morelli (2004).

10. Goodnough (2006).

11. Collins and Johnston (2004).

12. Kenny (2001).

13. Dvorak (2003).

14. Mathews (2002).

15. Wilson and Kelling (1982). 

16. Zimbardo (1973). 

17. Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 

18. Skerritt (2006).

19. Webb, Smith, and Laycock (2004); White and Dean 

(2004).

20. Great Britain. Department for Environment, Food and 

Rural Affairs (2006).

21. Keep Scotland Beautiful (2006).

22. Regional Affairs Center, University of Hartford (1969).

23. Toy (1997).

24. Association for Iron & Steel Technology (2008).

25. Heart of the City (2007b).

26. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1998).

27. Erie Metropolitan Planning Department (1975).
44 Abandoned Vehicles

28. Smith, Jacobson, and Webb (2004). 

29. Heart of the City (2007a).

30. Sawyers (2007).

31. Newark Police Department Auto Crimes Bureau (2007).

32. Toy (1997).

33. National Insurance Crime Bureau (2007); Davidson 

(2000).

34. Rose (2002).

35. Dvorak (2003).

36. Kenny (2001).

37. Baltimore Department of Transportation (2007).

38. Erie Metropolitan Planning Department (1975).

39. Smith, Jacobson, and Webb (2004). 

40. Great Britain. Comptroller and Auditor General (2006).

41. Harradine et al. (2004); Upson (2006).

42. Reed, Stowe & Yanke, LLC (2004).

43. Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (2001).

44. Hornsby (2003).

45. Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 

46. Bunt (2002).

47. Hamilton (2006); Klein (2006); Bush (2005).

48. Great Britain. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 

(2004a).

49. Toy (1997).

50. Daniel (2006).

51. Phoenix Police Department (1998).

52. Dehn (1974).

53. Hornsby (2003); Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 

54. Hart (2001).

55. Scott (2006).

56. Greater London Authority. Environment Committee 

2004).

57. EnCams (2005); Keep Scotland Beautiful (2006).

58. Ashfield District Council (2007).

59. Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 
Endnotes 45

60. Dehn (1974); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(1998).

61. Johnsburg Town Board (2007). 

62. University of Hartford, Regional Affairs Center (1969).

63. EnCams (2005); Association of London Governments 

(2005).

64. Hornsby (2003).

65. Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 

66. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2007); Johnson 

(2004).

67. Greater London Authority. Environment Committee 

(2004).

68. Robinson (2002).

69. Great Britain. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 

(2004b).

70. Kenny (2001).

71. Dvorak (2003).

72. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2004b).

73. Jacobson, Davison, and Tarling (2002). 

74. Great Britain. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 

(2004b).

75. Reed, Stowe & Yanke, LLC (2004).

76. Heart of the City (2007a); U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (2007); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(1998).

77. Mazzanti and Zoboli (2006); Commission of the 

European Communities (2007).

78. City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska (2003); Juneau Daily 

News Online (2003).

79. California Highway Patrol (2007).

80. Seidemann, Terrell, and Matchett (2007).

References 47

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White, M., and C. Dean. “Abuse of Temporary License Tags 

in North Carolina,” in Understanding and Preventing Car 

Theft. Crime Prevention Studies, Vol. 17, ed. M. Maxfield 

and R. Clarke, Monsey, New York: Criminal Justice Press, 

2004.

Wilson, J., and G. Kelling. “Broken Windows: The Police and 

Neighborhood Safety.” Atlantic Monthly (March 1982): 

29–38.

Zimbardo, P. “A Field Experiment in Auto Shaping,” in 

Vandalism, ed. C. Ward, New York: Van Nostrand 

Reinhold Co., 1973.
About the Author 55

About the Author

Michael G. Maxfield

Michael G. Maxfield, is Professor of Criminal Justice at Rutgers 

University, Newark. He is the author of articles and books on a 

variety of topics—victimization, policing, homicide, community 

corrections, and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect. 

He is the coauthor (with Earl Babbie) of the textbook, Research 

Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, now in its fifth edition, 

and coeditor of two volumes in the Crime Prevention Studies series: 

Understanding and Preventing Car Theft (with Ronald Clarke), and 

Surveying Crime in the 21st Century (with Mike Hough). Formerly a 

Visiting Fellow at the National Institute of Justice, Maxfield has 

worked with a variety of public agencies and other organizations 

acting as a consultant and advocate of frugal evaluation for justice 

policy. Recent projects collaborate with police departments and other 

justice agencies in the areas of repeat domestic violence, performance 

measurement systems, and auto theft. Professor Maxfield received his 

Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University.

Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 57

Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police

Problem-Specific Guides series:

1. Assaults in and Around Bars. Michael S. Scott. 2001. 

ISBN: 1-932582-00-2

2. Street Prostitution. Michael S. Scott. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-01-0

3. Speeding in Residential Areas. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

ISBN: 1-932582-02-9

4. Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes. 

Rana Sampson. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-03-7

5. False Burglar Alarms. Rana Sampson. 2001. 

ISBN: 1-932582-04-5

6. Disorderly Youth in Public Places. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

ISBN: 1-932582-05-3

7. Loud Car Stereos. Michael S. Scott. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-06-1

8. Robbery at Automated Teller Machines. Michael S. Scott. 

2001. ISBN: 1-932582-07-X

9. Graffiti. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-08-8

10. Thefts of and From Cars in Parking Facilities. Ronald V. 

Clarke. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-09-6

11. Shoplifting. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-10-X

12. Bullying in Schools. Rana Sampson. 2002. 

ISBN: 1-932582-11-8

13. Panhandling. Michael S. Scott. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-12-6

14. Rave Parties. Michael S. Scott. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-13-4

15. Burglary of Retail Establishments. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002. 

ISBN: 1-932582-14-2

16. Clandestine Drug Labs. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

ISBN: 1-932582-15-0

17. Acquaintance Rape of College Students. Rana Sampson. 

2002. ISBN: 1-932582-16-9

18. Burglary of Single-Family Houses. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 

2002. ISBN: 1-932582-17-7

19. Misuse and Abuse of 911. Rana Sampson. 2002.

ISBN: 1-932582-18-5
58 Abandoned Vehicles

20. Financial Crimes Against the Elderly.

Kelly Dedel Johnson. 2003. ISBN: 1-932582-22-3

21. Check and Card Fraud. Graeme R. Newman. 2003. 

ISBN: 1-932582-27-4

22. Stalking. The National Center for Victims of Crime. 

2004. ISBN: 1-932582-30-4

23. Gun Violence Among Serious Young Offenders. 

Anthony A. Braga. 2004. ISBN: 1-932582-31-2

24. Prescription Fraud. Julie Wartell and Nancy G. La Vigne. 

2004. ISBN: 1-932582-33-9

25. Identity Theft. Graeme R. Newman. 2004. 

ISBN: 1-932582-35-3

26. Crimes Against Tourists. Ronald W. Glesnor and 

Kenneth J. Peak. 2004. ISBN: 1-932582-36-3

27. Underage Drinking. Kelly Dedel Johnson. 2004. 

ISBN: 1-932582-39-8

28. Street Racing. Kenneth J. Peak and Ronald W. Glensor. 

2004. ISBN: 1-932582-42-8

29. Cruising. Kenneth J. Peak and Ronald W. Glensor. 2004. 

ISBN: 1-932582-43-6

30. Disorder at Budget Motels. Karin Schmerler. 2005. 

ISBN: 1-932582-41-X

31. Drug Dealing in Open-Air Markets. Alex Harocopos 

and Mike Hough. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-45-2

32. Bomb Threats in Schools. Graeme R. Newman. 2005. 

ISBN: 1-932582-46-0

33. Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places. Kelly Dedel 

Johnson. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-47-9

34. Robbery of Taxi Drivers. Martha J. Smith. 2005. 

ISBN: 1-932582-50-9

35. School Vandalism and Break-Ins. Kelly Dedel Johnson. 

2005. ISBN: 1-9325802-51-7

36. Drunk Driving. Michael S. Scott, Nina J. Emerson, Louis 

B. Antonacci, and Joel B. Plant. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-57-6

37. Juvenile Runaways. Kelly Dedel. 2006. 

ISBN: 1932582-56-8
Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 59

38. The Exploitation of Trafficked Women. Graeme R. 

Newman. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-59-2

39. Student Party Riots. Tamara D. Madensen and John E. 

Eck. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-60-6

40. People with Mental Illness. Gary Cordner. 2006. 

ISBN: 1-932582-63-0

41. Child Pornography on the Internet. Richard Wortley 

and Stephen Smallbone. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-65-7

42. Witness Intimidation. Kelly Dedel. 2006. 

ISBN: 1-932582-67-3

43. Burglary at Single-Family House Construction 

Sites. Rachel Boba and Roberto Santos. 2006. 

ISBN: 1-932582-00-2

44. Disorder at Day Laborer Sites. Rob Guerette. 2007. 

ISBN: 1-932582-72-X

45. Domestic Violence. Rana Sampson. 2007. 

ISBN: 1-932582-74-6

46. Thefts of and from Cars on Residential Streets and 

Driveways. Todd Keister. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-76-2

47. Drive-By Shootings. Kelly Dedel. 2007. 

ISBN: 1-932582-77-0

48. Bank Robbery. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 2007.

ISBN: 1-932582-78-9

49. Robbery of Convenience Stores. Alicia Altizio and

Diana York. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-79-7

50. Traffic Congestion Around Schools. 

Nancy G. La Vigne. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-82-7

51. Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities. Justin A. Heinonen 

and John E. Eck. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-83-5

52. Biclycle Theft. Shane D. Johnson, Aiden Sidebottom, 

and Adam Thorpe. 2008. ISBN: 1-932582-87-8

53. Abandoned Vehicles. Michael G. Maxfield. 2008.

ISBN: 1-932582-88-6
60 Abandoned Vehicles

Response Guides series:

1. The Benefits and Consequences of Police 

Crackdowns. Michael S. Scott. 2003. ISBN: 1-932582-24-X

2. Closing Streets and Alleys to Reduce Crime: Should 

You Go Down This Road? Ronald V. Clarke. 2004. 

ISBN: 1-932582-41-X

3. Shifting and Sharing Responsibility for Public Safety 

Problems. Michael S. Scott and Herman Goldstein. 2005.

ISBN: 1-932582-55-X

4. Video Surveillance of Public Places. Jerry Ratcliffe. 

2006 ISBN: 1-932582-58-4

5. Crime Prevention Publicity Campaigns.

Emmanuel Barthe. 2006 ISBN: 1-932582-66-5

6. Sting Operations. Graeme R. Newman with assistance 

of Kelly Socia. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-84-3

Problem-Solving Tools series: 

1. Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory 

Guide for Police Problem-Solvers. John E. Eck. 2002. 

ISBN: 1-932582-19-3

2. Researching a Problem. Ronald V. Clarke and Phyllis A. 

Schultz. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-48-7

3. Using Offender Interviews to Inform Police ProblemSolving. Scott H. Decker. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-49-5

4. Analyzing Repeat Victimization. Deborah Lamm 

Weisel. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-54-1

5. Partnering with Businesses to Address Public Safety 

Problems. Sharon Chamard. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-62-2

6. Understanding Risky Facilities. Ronald V. Clarke and 

John E. Eck. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-75-4

7. Implementing Responses to Problems. Rick Brown 

and Michael S. Scott. 2007. ISBN: 1-932582-80-0
Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 61

8. Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental 

Design in Problem-Solving. Diane Zahm. 2007. 

ISBN: 1-932582-81-9

9. Enhancing the Problem-Solving Capacity of Crime 

Analysis Units. Matthew B. White. 2008. 

ISBN: 1-932582-85-1

Upcoming Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 

Problem-Specific Guides

Spectator Violence in Stadiums

Child Abuse and Neglect in the Home

Crime and Disorder in Parks

Transient Encampments

Street Robbery

Fencing Stolen Property

Thefts from Cafés and Bars

Aggressive Driving

Theft of Scrap Metal

Problem-Solving Tools

Displacement

Response Guides

Enhancing Lighting

Asset Forfeiture

For more information about the Problem-Oriented Guides for 

Police series and other COPS Office publications, call the 

COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 or visit 

COPS Online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

Got a Problem? We’ve got answers!

Log onto the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing web site at 

www.popcenter.org for a wealth of information to help you deal 

more effectively with crime and disorder in your community, 

including:

•	 Recommended readings in problem-oriented policing 

and situational crime prevention

•	 A complete listing of other POP Guides

•	 A listing of forthcoming POP Guides.

Designed for police and those who work with them to address 

community problems, www.popcenter.org is a great resource for 

problem-oriented policing.

Supported by the Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services, U.S. Department of Justice.

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing
For More Information:

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services

1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20530

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the

COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770

Visit COPS Online at the address listed below.

August 2008

e080821166

ISBN:1-932582-88-6 

www.cops.usdoj.gov