He ordered a review of the contract's performance and payment procedures.
He required the city to establish proper controls for access to relevant records.
And he worked with procurement and legal officials to ensure that essential towing services could continue lawfully without depending on arrangements under investigation.
He also established a process for reviewing disputed impoundment fees.
The young mechanic's case was among those examined.
The city later worked through the appropriate legal channels to address the financial harm documented in that case, while the broader review continued.
The commissioner understood that money couldn't erase the humiliation of being pushed against a car.
But financial harm mattered.
Losing a vehicle could cost someone a job.
Missing work could threaten rent.
And a single incident could destabilize a family that had spent years struggling to build security.
The department couldn't treat those consequences as irrelevant simply because they happened after an arrest or impoundment report was completed.
One evening, the commissioner returned to the community center to meet the mechanic and his mother.
The independent case review had progressed enough that their legal representative could explain several findings.
The commissioner wasn't there to promise a specific criminal outcome.
He wanted to hear whether the family had received the information they needed and whether the process was treating them respectfully.
The mechanic arrived wearing his garage uniform.
His hands smelled faintly of engine oil.
He looked tired.
But he appeared more confident than during their first meeting.
His mother sat beside him.
For several minutes, they discussed the records.
Then the mechanic asked a question.
“Can I ask you something personal?”
The commissioner nodded.
“Of course.”
The young man looked toward the table.
“Why didn't you hit him back?”
The commissioner considered the question.
Then smiled faintly.
“Because that wouldn't have made the situation better.”
The mechanic nodded.
“But he hit you.”
“Yes.”
“And you could've stopped him.”
“Possibly.”
The commissioner leaned forward.
“But I wasn't facing an immediate threat that required me to use force at that moment.”
The young man looked thoughtful.
The commissioner continued.
“I wanted the encounter documented. I wanted it handled through a process that didn't depend on who could hurt the other person more.”
The mechanic looked down.
Then whispered, “I wish I'd stayed that calm.”
The commissioner studied him.
“What happened?”
The young man sighed.
“When the sergeant pushed me against the car, I got angry.”