For the purposes of this chapter the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
All property whose former owner has voluntarily and intentionally
given up possession.
All personal property that is lost, found, abandoned, stolen,
embezzled or deposited with the Police Department.
(Prior code §28.1)
The Chief of Police may destroy any unclaimed property deemed
by him or her to be inimical to the health, safety or welfare of the
City.
(Prior code §28.2)
All unclaimed personal property coming into the possession of
the Police Department shall be stored in a safe place by the Chief
of Police. The Chief of Police shall restore such property to its
legal owner, upon proof of such ownership satisfactory to him or her
and upon the payment of all reasonably necessary costs in the care
and protection thereof, unless such property is held by the Police
for evidence in a pending case in which event it shall be disposed
of only upon order of the proper court.
(Prior code §28.3)
At any time after such unclaimed property has been stored by
the Chief of Police for a period of four months, or, in the case of
unclaimed bicycles, after such bicycles have been stored for a period
of three months, the Chief of Police may publish once in a newspaper
of general circulation in the City a notice of his or her intention
to sell at public auction to the highest bidder at the time and place
therein specified, all such unclaimed personal property. At the request
of the Chief of Police, the Purchasing Division shall cause the notice
to be published.
(Prior code §28.4; Ord. 2960 §1, 1963; Ord. 3288 §1, 1968)
The sale mentioned in Section 9.88.040 shall be held not less than five days after the publication of the notice of the sale and each item shall be separately sold at public auction to the highest bidder, except in cases where there may be several of the same kind of articles or accessories thereof of little value, in which case they may be sold by lot or parcel. At the request of the Chief of Police, the Purchasing Division shall conduct the sale.
(Prior code §28.5)
The expenses connected with the sale authorized by the preceding
section shall be a proper charge against the funds of the Police Department
and the receipts and proceeds received from the sale shall first be
applied to reimburse the Police Department for the expenses and the
balance of all proceeds received from the sale shall be delivered
to the City Treasurer for deposit in the Service Retirement Fund of
the Fire and Police Pension Fund.
(Prior code §28.6)
The Chief of Police shall report any items remaining unsold
after the public auction to the City Administrator who shall instruct
the Chief what disposition shall be made thereof as he or she may
see fit in the public interest.
(Prior code §28.7)
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to property subject
to confiscation or special disposition under the laws of the State
or of the United States of America.
(Prior code §28.8)
