Phila. Police Dispatcher Pleads Guilty To Taking Cash For Tow-Truck Jobs

By Tony Hanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A former Philadelphia police civilian radio dispatcher pleaded guilty today to bribery charges, admitting she took money to circumvent the city's efforts to try to curb notorious and dangerous tow truck "wreck chasers."

Former police dispatcher Dorian Parsley admitted she was the wreck chasers' inside connection, taking more than $35,000 in bribes (see previous story).

"Miss Parsley admitted that she accepted cash bribe payments from tow truck operators in exchange for advance information on the location of accidents or wherever tow trucks were needed by Philadelphia police," said Philadelphia prosecutor Jennifer Chun Barry after the proceeding.

Parsley subverted the police department's rotational tow assignment program, in which each call is assigned to a participating tow truck operator in rotation, to avoid conflicts among tow truck drivers at the scene (see related story).

Chun says Parsley used her personal phone to text the confidential information to tow truck drivers who paid the bribes.

In:
• KYW Newsradio 1060
• Philadelphia Police Department
• Philadelphia