AutoReturn was selected by Baltimore County in late 2009 through a competitive bid process to improve towing services through the deployment of new technology, people and practices. The company began work in Baltimore County, encompassing approximately 600 sq. miles of territory in 2010. During the past year, it has decreased the administrative burden on the police department, allowing officers to spend more time protecting the public.

The company's annual report to the County of Baltimore reported that during 2010 it managed more than 19,000 tows in the County through the 29 independent tow companies it is charged with managing.

Prior to AutoReturn, the records available to the Baltimore County Police for the tow services for autos involved in accidents, DUIs, suspended licenses or illegal parking, were through multiple and disparate systems. This made it difficult and time consuming for the police to gather information and in some cases, difficult for owners to know where their car was located. It was also difficult for police to monitor and regulate towing operations because little of the process was computerized.

Upon its selection, AutoReturn implemented a logistics system that computerized and tracks all tow actions, enabling the County to track the towing and disposition of cars, ensure transparent billing practices and reduce its management and oversight of the complexities of towing thousands of cars annually, according to its report.

Using its proprietary GPS-enabled technologies, AutoReturn manages, tracks and reports towed vehicles from dispatch through release and disposition. AutoReturn's towing management process allows citizens to find their vehicles faster and easier through a user-friendly Web search or an automated phone system, backed by a 24/7 service center.

Consumers have been positively impacted by AutoReturn's new computerized system, according to the company's annual report. Consumers--who in the past had a difficult time locating their vehicle--no longer have to dial every precinct in Baltimore County to find their vehicle. They can call a 24/7 phone number or they can use the computerized system to locate their car online, providing them with the information necessary to retrieve it from the relevant impound yard as well as a map to its location.

The report indicates that prior to AutoReturn, complaints against tow companies by citizens averaged 2 complaints a week. Last year, a total of only 4 complaints were filed, a decrease of over 96 percent.

Invoices for citizens are regulated and audited, as well. Prior to AutoReturn, many invoices were created by hand and were often confusing and frustrating to understand and difficult for the County to track. Now, they are computerized and available to citizens, police, towing companies and AutoReturn, providing transparency for all charges and fees.

Because it does not perform the towing itself, but instead implements new technologies and a proprietary logistics system using existing tow companies, AutoReturn created the AutoReturn Towing Advisory Group from a subset of the tow company owners to help resolve issues and exchange information and ideas for improving service to the County and to consumers.

Locally based tow companies are supportive of the improvements made by AutoReturn and commented positively on the annual report to the County. "When AutoReturn first took over in Baltimore County, I feared they would take away our business," said Paul D. Farace, President, Hebbville Auto Repair of Baltimore County.

"I am pleased to report there have been no negative issues. I am most impressed with AutoReturn's technology platform, which tracks all vehicles at all times. That means that the County, AutoReturn and my company are all on the same page, and it saves us--and clients--a lot of confusion and potential disagreements."

"Ever since AutoReturn took over the Baltimore County tow dispatch, there has been a big improvement in the organization of the entire operation. AutoReturn tracks each tow electronically, so they keep track of all the vehicles for us," said David Hatton, owner of Meadowcroft Towing in Baltimore County.

"They create spreadsheets and reports on all the tows so we can also keep better track of our work. The AutoReturn website is very advanced, and allows people to look up their vehicles online."

"We are honored to have been selected by the County and we are pleased to submit this report of our collective accomplishments," said Ray Krouse of AutoReturn.

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