His shift began before sunrise.
He drove an aging sedan because public transportation didn't reach the facility at that hour.
One morning, an officer stopped him on Pine Hollow Road.
The officer claimed the vehicle was unsafe.
Her son disputed the assessment.
He had recently replaced the tires and completed an inspection at a repair shop.
The officer ordered a tow.
The car was taken to a private storage facility.
By the time the son arranged transportation to retrieve it, the fees had increased.
He couldn't afford them immediately.
He missed work.
Then missed another shift.
Eventually, his employer terminated him under its attendance policy.
The woman looked down.
"My boy made mistakes too."
The commissioner remained quiet.
"He should've called his supervisor sooner. He should've asked for help."
She swallowed.
"But he kept saying he didn't understand why they took the car."
She opened the envelope.
Inside were invoices.
A towing receipt.
Photographs of the tires.
A repair shop inspection record.
And copies of emails requesting an explanation.
The commissioner looked through the materials.
He couldn't determine from the documents alone whether the impoundment was improper.
But he noticed the towing company's name.
Pine Valley Recovery.
The same company appearing repeatedly in the preliminary complaints he'd reviewed.
He looked toward the woman.
"Did your son file a complaint?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"What happened?"
Her eyes filled.
"He got a letter saying they couldn't establish misconduct."
The commissioner studied the paper.
The review appeared to have relied primarily on the stopping officer's account.
It didn't explain whether the repair shop records had been considered.
Nor did it clearly identify who verified the towing decision.
He looked toward the woman.
"Would you be willing to submit these records for an independent review of the towing program?"
She nodded immediately.
"Yes."
The commissioner explained that he couldn't promise a particular outcome.
He couldn't declare the officer wrong without examining the evidence.
And he couldn't simply order the company to refund every fee because he sympathized with the family's hardship.
The woman listened.
Then nodded.
"I understand."
She looked toward him.
"But somebody has to look."
The commissioner felt something tighten in his chest.
He thought of his father.
The old pickup.
The officer who had made a working man feel powerless.
Then he looked toward the envelope.
"We'll make sure the complaint is reviewed through the proper process."