Misplaced vehicles and incorrect storage prices are common problems of mismanaged impound lots. Just being able to quickly answer the question “Do you have my car?” can sometimes be difficult. The automation and organization of Dispatch Anywhere's impound system makes these problems a thing of the past. From remote inventory to searching for a customer's car, impound management is made how it should be: simple.

To look at some of the functionality of impound, let's use theft recovery from a local municipality. The police officer tells dispatch he is not sure to whom the vehicle belongs and that he would like to put a hold on it. As the dispatcher types the call, he selects the Police Hold check box that will warn other dispatchers of the hold if they try to release the vehicle. When the dispatcher gets to the destination field on the call screen, he selects the lot and/or lot zone where the vehicle will be dropped. After the call is completed, Dispatch Anywhere will automatically move the call from Assigned status into Impounded status. Even if the dispatcher is not aware of the vehicle's destination at the time of call entry, the driver can type the lot location into his pager when the call is complete, thus remotely updating the system.

VIN and plate numbers are important on all impounded vehicles; and, in the case of the police tow, the driver needs to get that information back to the system. The VIN and plate number can be updated remotely by sending the information through the driver's pager or mobile phone to Dispatch Anywhere.

Finally, the driver will select Finished on his pager. Dispatch Anywhere will automatically move the vehicle from Assigned status to Impounded status, and verbally alert dispatch that the driver is clear and ready for his next assignment.

Because Dispatch Anywhere is Internet-based (with a laptop and air link connection), our customers are able to check lot inventory and log vehicles in and out on the most remote lots.

With Dispatch Anywhere Impound, all vehicles can also be grouped or searched by any parameters or partial information. The proper car can be selected and an invoice with total charges may be viewed and printed — all done in seconds.

Pricing on some impound contracts can be very tricky in some situations. With the Impounding system, all storage possiblieties are taken into account. The Storage Calculator can be customized per account, with an unlimited variation of pricing that will satisfy even the most exacting municipality.

Abounded vehicles are covered as well. Lien Letters are printed on state-required forms; then the Auction Schedule feature keeps those vehicles and auctions organized.

All of this impound functionality, interfaced with the rest of Dispatch Anywhere, makes the whole impound process simple.