Towing Issues: towing expenses, tow truck operator, fire department operations

Question
Recently my step mother was pulled over and charged with driving without a license in Santee, SC. She was arrested and the officer called a tow truck for the vehicle, But my step mother had family that lived nearby and they showed up the sametime the tow truck operator showed. The tow truck operater never hooked the veihicle up to the truck, and the officer let family members take the truck home, But the tow truck operater charged them $175.00 just for comming out there and he never done anything, and he only came from 6 miles away. When he was asked why it was so much, he stated that thats what the officer told him to charge. My question to you is, is this legal for the officer to tell the tow truck operator what to charge, and can the tow truck operator charge what he wants if he has'nt physically done anything.

Answer
I really "DOUBT" that the officer told the tow truck driver what to charge but I bet that it is the tow rate at which the tow company and the city police have contracted.  
In most cases if the tow truck arrives on location the fee is charged and it is the same if it is a out of gas call, driver arrest, accident or break down tow.

Regulated or set rates work like that all over the US.

Now if the tow truck was not on scene when the family members arrived then they most likely would of been canceled and no fee charged.  

Tow trucks are not part of the police and fire department operations per say as they are a private business which contracts with the city to provide services for a fee to be paid by the motorist - owner of the vehicle.

That in easier terms means that the tow truck and its services is not "TAXPAYER SUPPORTED" by collection of taxes.

Now it all sounds like it was legal and I have to add that in many places the family members would not and could not pick up the vehicle after an arrest as the vehicle needs to be impounded per laws and releases issued by the impounding agency. (Translated that means that the city wants a "RELEASE FEE" for doing the paperwork to say that you can go to the tow company and pay the tow company for the towing and storage. In some areas the "RELEASE FEE" is upwards of $500.00 and the towing fee might be 100 or 200.00 dollars or so.  

Remember that "GOVERNMENT" looks for ways to "TAX the TAXPAYER" in any manner it can, be it a "HIDDEN TAX" or a wide open tax.