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This one is just a miserable comment on why crime doesn’t pay.<\/p>\n
San Antonio likes to bill itself as Military City, USA. Given the amount of space and people devoted to the military there, with both Army AND Air Force facilities, medical training too, as I recall – there should be some incentive to stay on the military’s good side, wouldn’t you think?<\/p>\n
And associated with San Antonio, let’s recall UR Vehicle Management Solutions, URVMS, now just known simply as VMS.\u00a0 Ringing a bell yet?<\/p>\n
An investigation by the U.S. Justice Department found San Antonio had auctioned at least 227 vehicles registered to active military personnel between 2011 and 2019 without obtaining the necessary court orders first. The city was ordered to pay over $100,000 in penalties and set up a settlement fund to compensate victims.<\/p>\n
The company used to sell the vehicles, according to News 4 San Antonio, was called UR Vehicle Management Solutions (URVMS) \u2014 since changed to simply VMS.<\/p>\n
Around the time of the settlement, the broadcaster says it reported the company had also auctioned 67 civilian vehicles without the required notifications. This prompted the city to temporarily halt auctions, conduct an audit and replace URVMS with a new contractor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Can tell where we rate…over two hundred military vehicles over a ten year period, no huhu, everything’s jake. A third that many civilian vehicles auctioned off and they gotta change the system.<\/p>\n
Did I say ‘auctioned off’? How about calling it what it was… STOLEN.<\/p>\n
\nFormer Air Force Staff Sergeant Paula Rangel was one of the complainants in the vehicle auction case. She says her car had been sold off while she was deployed in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was devastated and I felt let down,\u201d she told the local broadcaster in a story published Feb. 26. \u201cI had just come back from a combat zone for seven months and to be just told \u2018Oh, well, got to start over.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
What da actual …?<\/p>\n
So a few years later, all is well, huh?<\/p>\n
Now, years after paying a hefty settlement, the city has granted Vehicle Management Solutions (VMS) a 10-year, $98 million contract to help run one of its impound lots again, according to News 4 San Antonio.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city has put in place tools and processes to ensure that citizens\u2019 vehicles are not sold without them receiving notification two times and then 30 days passing,\u201d San Antonio Police Department assistant director Rick Riley told the news outlet.<\/p>\n
For example, the City hired a third party that enables us to search for vehicle ownership and military status when vehicles are impounded. These tools were approved by the Justice Department and have been in place since 2022. This history was not discussed before the Council\u2019s vote last week because the issue has been resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
The broadcaster says it reached out to three city council members on the public safety committee, but none wanted to comment. It also contacted VMS, which referred them to city officials.\u00a0\u00a0 MoneyWise<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I’m sure it has been resolved. “No, I pwomise, Mommy, I’ll never ever steal a cookie again”…until next time. Sounds like that to me. Wonder if there is any association between the three city council members who refuse to comment and last time?<\/p>\n
Did I say crime doesn’t pay?\u00a0 Looks like it eventually is paying out $98,000,000 in San Antonio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"