Chapter 10 · Police

Article 2. Property in Police Custody

Sections 10-201 to 10-205 · 5 sections

10-201 Regulations.

The police department is required to establish regulations detailing the collection, storage, and inventory of property which may come under its control by any manner.

10-202 Disposition.

Any property which has been acquired or turned over to the police department and has been classified in accordance with procedures existing in the police department as unclaimed or for which the proper owner cannot be ascertained shall be kept for a minimum of 90 days. After a period of 90 days, such property, except as provided in Section 10-203, may be sold by bid auction or private sale or otherwise disposed of as determined by the Chief of Police and/or the City Administrator and the proceeds after expenses shall be paid to the City general fund.

10-203 Same; exempt property.

The following classes of property shall be considered exceptions to Section 10-202 and shall be dealt with in the following manner:

(a)Cash money shall be turned over to the City general fund unless it shall be determined to have collector’s value, in which case it shall be disposed of according to the provisions in Section 10-202.

(b)Firearms which are available for disposition may be dealt with in the following manner:

(1)If compatible with law enforcement usage, they may be turned over to the police department inventory.

(2)They may be sold to a firearms dealer who maintains the appropriate federal firearms license.

(3)They may be destroyed.

(4)In no case shall firearms be sold to the public.

(c)Other weapons such as knives, etc., which are deemed to have a legitimate value may be disposed of according to Section 10-202, however, homemade weapons or weapons of a contraband nature shall be destroyed.

(d)Any items determined to be contraband such as explosives, narcotics, etc., shall be destroyed.

(e)Items of a pharmaceutical nature, which, while not contraband when properly dispensed, or which are of an over-the-counter-variety, shall be destroyed.

(f)Foodstuffs, if sealed and undamaged may be turned over to any appropriate social service agency or destroyed, but shall not be sold.

(g)Alcohol products such as beer, wine, whiskey, etc., shall be destroyed.

(h)Items with a value in excess of $500 will be disposed of as stated in Section 10-202.

10-204 Claiming property.

The police department shall be required to make reasonable attempts to locate the owner of any property in storage. However, the responsibility for claiming and identifying any such property shall rest solely with the owner.

10-205 Proof of ownership.

Claimants to any property in police storage shall be required to present reasonable proof of ownership and no property shall be released unless such reasonable proof is presented.