Should Police Departments Keep Proceeds From Unclaimed Property?
State law requires departments to transfer profits from unclaimed property sales to the Rhode Island general fund. Some lawmakers and the Middletown Police Department would like that to change.
Under Rhode Island law, if property is turned into police departments and remains unclaimed for six months, departments have two choices: destroy the property or to sell it and hand the profits over the state’s general fund.
Middletown Police Detective Lt. John Dring said it would make sense if departments were able to put that money back into their operating budget. A bill introduced by Sen. Christopher Ottiano (R-Bristol, Portsmouth, Tiverton) would do just that.
“What we have done in the past is we try to auction it off,” said Lt. Dring. “It’s a time-consuming process for the police department. We have a lot of items that are turned in.”
Dring said there is little incentive for departments to spend time selling the items, so they tend to sit in storage.
The bill, S0289, would allow police departments to use any income from the sale of the property “for police related community functions, to replace stolen property and/or for law enforcement.”
“It just makes sense,” said Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Middletown, Newport, Little Compton, Tiverton), who co-sponsored the bill.
What do you think? Should local police departments be allowed to keep profits earned from abandoned property auctions?
Jfri
10:43 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
don't the people that turn it in get it after a period of time?
Olga Enger
11:07 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
Although some departments may operate that way, it is not included in the law. http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/title33/33-21.1/33-21.1-14.1.HTM
Tom
11:50 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
This is sure to help keep honest people honest...NOT!! Why would anyone turn in a missing item to the Police, knowing the Police will eventually get to keep it or the profits from the sale of the item? Now I know for sure I'll never see my missing i-Phone. This is just plain nuts. Let the person who tuned it in keep it. That's the fair thing to do.
MILSPECGUY
5:08 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I had my items stolen from my apartment a while back, MPD caught the perps in route to Tiverton... Well after the case against them and me leaving for school the event took 1 year and then recieved a call to pick up my possessions. My stuff (mostly Clothes) were out of style and filled with mold since they did not keep them in a dry area. Some stuff was missing, MPD choose what to give me back.. still wondering where my 100 in cash and mickey mantle baseball card went...