Property which appears to be lost or abandoned, discovered by officers or turned in to the Police Department by citizens, shall be disposed of according to this chapter.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Neillsville as Title 3, Ch. 5, of the 1985 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Lost and abandoned property will be examined by the Police Department for identifying marks in an attempt to determine the owner. If identifying marks are present, they shall be used by the Police Department to attempt to contact the owner to return the property. If no identifying marks are present, the property shall be turned over to the Police Department's property custodian.
No police officer shall keep for his/her own use property found in the course of duty, nor take possession of property during off-duty hours when the discovery was made while on duty.
The Police Department shall permit citizens to claim lost property if they can provide sufficient proof that they are rightful owners.
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 1002]
Pursuant to § 66.0139, Wis. Stats., the Police Department shall have the ability to dispose of property which has been abandoned or which remains unclaimed for a period of 30 days after having been taken into possession by the Department by either donating to a charity or charities, selling the property by individual sale at fair market value, selling the property by auction or by disposing of the property as junk. If the property is usable for Department operations, or by the City of Neillsville, the property need not be disposed of as set forth herein, but may become the property of the Department or the City of Neillsville.
No member of the Police Department or any other City employee shall receive any lost, stolen, abandoned or other unclaimed property from the Police Department unless that person receives a written receipt signed by the Chief of Police, a copy of which shall remain at the Police Department.