408 Recovered Property (Issued 05-15-2008)FRIDLEY POLICE DATE OF ISSUE NUMBER:
GENERAL ORDER May 15, 2008 408
SUBJECT: REVISION DATE SECTION:
Recovered Property May 15, 2008 Green
I. PURPOSE
To provide procedures to properly enter, tag, record and store recovered property.
II. POLICY
It is the policy of the Department to handle recovered property expeditiously and
in manner consistent with legal requirements, with an effort made to return the
property to the rightful owner.
III. PROCEDURE
A. Police personnel recovering property (with the exception of license Plates)
will:
1. Complete a police report containing the following information, if
available, regarding the recovered item:
a. Serial number
b. Brand
c. Model
d. Color
e. License number
f. Size
g. Any other available descriptive information
h. Owner information
i. Property #
2. Enter recovered items into the property book:
a. Assign each item a separate property number, and
b. Complete the following information in the property book:
1) Property #
2) Case #
3) Date Received
4) Article Description
5) Officer Name
6) Where stored
7) Disposition
c. Indicate the appropriate disposition:
1) SEND LETTER TO OWNER
Instructs property room personnel to send a form
letter to a known owner, allowing 30 days for owner
to retrieve property. This should be checked only
when the property owner's identity is known.
2) AUCTION IF UTL OWNER
Indicates that property should be held for auction if
an owner cannot be located.
3) DESTROY AFTER 60 DAYS
Indicates that the property should be destroyed if an
owner cannot be located.
4) RETURN TO LIQUOR STORE
Indicates that a keg or keg tap should be turned over
to the municipal liquor store if it is unclaimed.
5) FINDER WILL CLAIM IF UTL OWNER
Indicates that the private citizen who found the
property has indicated an interest in claiming the
property if an owner cannot be located.
6) RELEASE TO ADULT ONLY
Indicates that the property should only be released
to an adult.
7) OTHER
Provides an opportunity to indicate additional
instructions not included above.
3. Tag the item with a completed found property card.
4. Place the item into storage:
a. Larger items, such as kegs and bicycles, will be stored in
the old property room.
b. Smaller items will be stored in the new property room.
c. Combustibles will be stored in the proper outbuilding at
the city garage.
d. BB guns will be stored in the new property room.
e. Cash and jewelry will be logged into the evidence room.
f. Firearms will be logged into the evidence room.
5. Obtain MINCIS/NCIC computer check on available serial
numbers.
a. Serial-numbered items for which an owner is unknown will
be entered into the CJDN “Hot Files” system by ISU.
B. Police personnel assigned to maintain recovered property will:
1. Inventory recovered property:
a. Check property for proper tagging.
b. Compare property book entries against items in property
rooms:
1) Verify that all items listed in the property book are
in the property room,
2) Verify that all items in property rooms are listed in
the property book,
3) Verify that information on tag is accurate and
consistent with what is listed in book,
4) Send a recovery notification form letter to owner if
officer has indicated in the Disposition section of
property book that this should be done.
2. If the owner is unknown, check property items for identifying
information:
a. Serial #
b. Brand
c. Model
d. Color
e. Size
f. Operation ID or Owner ID
g. License #
h. Any other identifying features (i.e. decals, damage,
markings, etc.)
3. Review the report to confirm that available serial or owner
identifying numbers located on found property have been entered
in the Criminal Justice Data Network (CJDN). (Reports which are
entered are kept in the 'Hot Files' drawers in the Lektriever).
4. Review the report to confirm that available license numbers on
bicycles have been queried through the CJDN in an attempt to
determine ownership.
5. Compare identifying information on property items with
information contained in police report:
a. If identifying information is missing from police report:
1) Complete a supplement report indicating any
identifying information which may be missing.
6. Attempt owner identification:
a. Compare lost/stolen reports to found items in property
room:
1) If a possible match is discovered:
i) Send form letter to complainant in stolen
property report,
ii) Complete a supplement report and attach
copy of letter,
iii) Cross-reference case numbers on police
reports.
7. Initial property book entry when above steps have been completed.
C. Personnel releasing property to an owner will:
1. Check owner's ID,
2. Sign item out of property book:
a. Complete "Date Released" and "By Whom" sections
b. Have owner sign "To Whom" space
3. Remove property tag from item and destroy,
4. Release item to owner.
5. Indicate in supplemental report the date and circumstances of
release.
D. Recovered property which cannot be returned to an owner will be
disposed of in the following manner:
1. Property will be held a minimum of 60 days.
a. Property held a minimum of 60 days for which an owner
cannot be found can be returned to the finder.
2. Property which can be sold will be auctioned.
3. Property which cannot be sold will be destroyed.
4. Radar detectors not returned to owner will be destroyed.
5. Knives and BB guns not returned to owner will be destroyed.
6. Drug paraphernalia will be destroyed.
7. Fireworks will be destroyed.