ST. LOUIS (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Abandoned cars appear to be piling up around St. Louis. Fox Files reporter Chris Hayes investigated a new fear among police officers to tow cars. One car piled up tickets -- without any apparent threat of being towed -- right down the street from Barnes Hospital. It was left inside the Highway 40 construction zone for more than a month.

In South St. Louis we found a car with the keys inside and no license plate. It was left next to Tom Frederick's house. He told us cars that used to be towed within hours are now sitting for months.

Frederick said, "It's more like a passing joke now - things like, "Am I opening up a car lot on the side of my house" uh you know, "How much do I want for this? How much do I want for that? Can we set up a bird's nest in it?"

From South City to North. On residential streets and downtown. Like one we spotted down the street from the Hyatt. We counted a couple dozen tickets dating back several weeks.

SLU student Phil Lombardo was walking by when he told us you wouldn't anything like it on campus, where you're lucky to get away parking illegally for even one day.

He added, "Probably just because the volume of students and faculty parking there." He pointed at the car with more than 20 tickets, "I've never seen anything like that before."

The car downtown and the one on Kingshighway did get towed before the All Star Game -- after sitting for more than a month. The one next to Tom Frederick's house was still there when we checked this week.

Attorney Al Watkins said you're definitely seeing a difference in the way cars get towed.

He said, "Some of the officers have simply elected -- 'look I'd rather not dip my toe into that kitty litter.'"

The feds are still investigating the Department for reported towing abuses from 2004 - 2008. Watkins represents some of the officers questioned.

"It's certainly not an imprudent decision on the part of law enforcement, not to have their signature or fingerprints showing up on any procedural or protocol that's required to facilitate the towing of a vehicle. Not now. It is a hot potato."

Plus there's a 28 page policy officers have to follow -- with specific rules on things like "notifying the owner."

Watkins says police have more important safety work to do.

Residents like Tom Frederick hope those officers don't forget the potential hazards of allowing cars to pile up on the roads.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department would not comment -- except to say that the current tow policy is the same one that existed before the tow scandal struck. However, a spokesperson said -- board members re-emphasized the policy after the U.S. Attorney began its investigation.