The Town of Taos Police Department has changed its procedures for Private Property Collision reporting. For a Private Property Collision, the Department will now do the following:
- The Department will respond, if requested, to a private property vehicle collision which occurred inside the jurisdictional boundaries of the Town of Taos.
- The Police Department employee will check to see if a criminal offense has occurred (Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Hit and Run, Reckless Driving, etc.).
- If there is a criminal offense, the Police Department will investigate and follow up as in any criminal event.
- If no criminal offense is detected, then this will be treated as a private property civil event. Each driver will be supplied an information sheet (which includes name, vehicle description, address, insurance, etc.) and then the drivers will exchange information.
- Each party will then be encouraged to pursue civil remedies for this event.
These changes have been made in an effort to make the Department’s records management system more efficient and cost effective, and at the same time supply public support for these events.