January 6, 2026
Police Department
DATE: January 6, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Timothy Simmons, Assistant Chief of Police
Tawfic Halaby, Deputy Director, Public Works
SUBJECT:
Contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc., Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s Towing, and Bay Area Tow
Inc. for City-wide Tow Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed annual expenditure of $250,000 is included within the approved fiscal year 2025-2026
budget for both the Police Department for $125,000,
(Account String: 01191021 - 400538) and Public Works
Department budget for $125,000 (Account String:
01235031 - 400501) and will be budgeted accordingly in
subsequent fiscal years.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Following a competitive procurement process that
involved the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP)
and evaluation of five vendor bid submissions, Police
Department and Public Works staff are requesting
approval of contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc., Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s Towing, and Bay
Area Tow Inc. for City-wide rotational tow and automotive services.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE three-year contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc.,
Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s
Towing, and Bay Area Tow Inc. for City-wide rotational
tow and automotive services in an amount not to exceed
$50,000 per vendor per year up to $250,000 annually,
with a term from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028, with one two-year option for each vendor to renew the
contract up to $100,000 per vendor, for a total contract AGENDA
REPORT
January 6, 2026
amount not to exceed $250,000 per vendor – Police
Department (Assistant Chief Timothy Simmons 510-621-
1802/Tawfic Halaby 510-620-5482).
DISCUSSION:
In November 2025, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) posted a Request for Proposals on Planet Bids for on-call towing, automotive services, and vehicle-evidence storage in accordance with the City’s contracting rules (Attachment 1). A total of 119 vendors were notified, and five (5) vendors submitted proposals (Attachment 2). On November 19, 2025, staff evaluated and scored all proposals based on demonstrated experience, qualifications, firm history, and results of an in-person site visit.
After review, scoring, and discussion by the review team which included members of RPD Traffic Division, RPD staff determined that Oliver’s Tow, Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checkers Towing, and Bay Area Tow Inc. all submitted strong overall proposals.
Rank Firm Name Rating Percentage (%) Rating
Incentive
1 Oliver’s Tow Inc. 98 NA
2 Civic Center / Lenz
Inc.
97.25 NA
3 Bay Area Tow Inc. 96.5 NA
4 Certified Towing 96.5 NA
5 Checkers Towing 96.5 NA
Police departments utilize rotational tow systems to ensure fairness, transparency, and operational efficiency when requesting tow services. Rather than relying on a single vendor or leaving selection to officer discretion, a rotational selection system guarantees that all qualified tow providers have an equal opportunity to serve the community. This reduces the potential for conflicts of interest, eliminates perceptions of favoritism, and aligns with best practices for municipal contracting.
Rotational tow programs also ensure that tow requests are handled quickly and consistently, regardless of the time of day, call volume, or location within the city.
Participating tow operators are required to meet performance benchmarks, response- time standards, equipment requirements, and secure-storage standards, giving the Police Department predictable, dependable service across all shifts.
Rapid tow service is essential for public safety and roadway efficiency. When officers respond to collisions, abandoned vehicles, arrests, or crime scenes, prompt removal of involved vehicles prevents secondary collisions, reduces traffic congestion, and allows officers to clear scenes more quickly. Faster scene clearance improves overall operational efficiency and allows officers to return to calls for service sooner. Public
January 6, 2026
Works will utilize the towing services for City fleet vehicles which include police cruisers, pool cars, and work trucks. The towing vendors will tow city fleet vehicles to the City’s repair workshop so repairs can be completed without harm to the vehicle and to ensure safety to City staff.
Maintaining five (5) tow companies offers the City the following key benefits:
Improve response times by increasing the likelihood that an available tow operator is located nearby.
Maintain reliable coverage during peak demand, including major collisions, severe weather, or concurrent high-priority incidents.
Reduce service disruptions caused by staffing shortages, equipment failures, or uneven call volumes among individual providers.
Ensure consistent service quality by requiring all participating vendors to meet established performance, equipment, and storage standards. Increase the availability of evidence-grade storage facilities, ensuring proper preservation of vehicles until forensic review or prosecutorial examination is complete and allows for:
o Maintaining the chain of custody for any physical or digital evidence (e.g., fingerprints, blood, onboard computer data).
o Crime scene technicians or forensic specialists examine vehicles in a safe and secure environment.
o The prevention of tampering or loss of evidence that could be critical to the investigation or prosecution.
Account for variable costs, as extended evidence-grade storage can significantly increase costs compared with routine tow or roadway removal services.
CONCLUSION:
Maintaining a five-vendor rotational tow program provides the City with the most reliable, efficient, and equitable towing model. It enhances public safety, supports police and public works operational readiness, improves roadway conditions, and ensures consistent high-quality service for the community.
City staff are recommending that the City Council approve three-year contracts with Oliver’s Tow Inc., Civic Center Auto Care, Certified Towing, Checker’s Towing, and Bay Area Tow Inc. to provide citywide rotational towing and automotive services (Attachments 3,4,5,6, and 7). Each contract would be in an amount not to exceed $50,000 per vendor per year, for a combined annual total not to exceed $250,000, with an initial term from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. Each vendor contract would include one optional two-year renewal, with a not-to-exceed amount of $100,000 per vendor, for a total potential contract amount not to exceed $250,000 per vendor.
The services will support Police Department and Public Works Department operations.
January 6, 2026
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – RFP
Attachment 2 – Bid Summary
Attachment 3 – Oliver’s Tow Inc. Contract
Attachment 4 – Civic Center Auto Care Contract
Attachment 5 – Wellsco, Inc. dba Certified Towing Contract Attachment 6 – Checker's Group, Inc. dba Checker's Towing Contract Attachment 7 – Bay Area Tow Inc. Contract