[Ord. 611, 2-1-1982]
All personal property which comes into the possession of any
police officer, which has been found or stolen or taken off the person
or out of the possession of any prisoner or person suspected of, or
charged with, being a criminal, and which is not known to belong to
some person laying claim thereto shall be, by the officer securing
possession thereof, delivered into the charge of the Chief of Police.
The Chief shall, in a permanent record book kept for that purpose,
make a record sufficient to identify the property, with the date and
circumstances of the receipt thereof, the name of the person from
whom it was taken and the place where it was found; and the record
shall also disclose the subsequent disposal thereof, giving the date
of sale, name and address of the purchaser, and the amount for which
it was sold.
[Ord. 611, 2-1-1982]
Any unclaimed personal property, other than animals, which remains
in the possession of the Chief of Police, unclaimed, or the ownership
of which is not to him satisfactorily established, for a period of
60 days, shall be sold, and the proceeds of the sale shall be paid
over to the City Clerk, who shall issue his receipt therefor, and
deposit the same to the credit of the General Fund of the City, except
such personal property as in the opinion of the Mayor can be more
advantageously used by some department or office of the City government.
Ten days before a sale of such unclaimed property, the Chief of Police
shall sign and have posted in at least three public places in the
City and in a newspaper authorized by law to publish legal publications,
notice of the time, place, and manner of such sale, and general description
of the property to be sold. However, if in the opinion of the Mayor,
all or any portion of the personal property may be more advantageously
used in any City department or office, he shall so instruct the Chief
of Police in writing, and the Chief shall thereupon deliver the personal
property designated to that department or office of City government
and make a permanent record of its disposition.
[Ord. 611, 2-1-1982]
Any personal property found by a person other than a public
official or employee, which is delivered to any police officer for
identification, if not claimed or identified within 60 days, shall,
within 10 additional days thereafter, if requested by the finder,
be returned to him, and a record of such disposal made thereof. If
the finder does not request return of the property to him within such
additional 10 days, then the Chief of Police shall sell the property
as if it had been found by a public official or employee, or on instruction
by the Mayor deliver it to some department or office of the City government
for its use.
[Prior Code, Sec. 17-4]
If any property is sold as herein provided, and the owner thereof
takes and recovers possession of same from the purchaser, the amount
paid therefor shall be returned to the purchaser, upon verified claim
being submitted and approved by the City Council.