Do the police return found items to you that youve turned into them after 90 days?

Tom_in_CA said:
But for someone in it for history sakes, or personal collection sakes, then the "turning it in to the police" discussion would have less relevance. Like if I were going to Europe, and .... upon conclusion, had scrap gold and silver that I needed to liquidate, it would be less of a problem. As such trivial amounts (any USA hunter will tell you), are obviously below the radar of the type things that someone making a career (ie.: a full time income) will face.
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Yes, that is correct.

For collectors sake, then heck I would not turn it into the police either.
 

Oddjob said:
I would not know, but what does that have to do with this.
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A LOT.

I read the heading and haven't read all the replies yet. However I do know laws vary from state to state and the POLICE MAKE their own laws. I have TWO major examples.

1. A gun in Michigan IF abandoned can be owned by the finder IF he is allowed to own a gun. I found a gun in a lake that was tossed in by the owner over 40 years ago. Michigan state law is clear. HOWEVER, the chief of police in that jurisdiction refused to give it back. He said the owner didn't want anyone to have it so it was going to be destroyed. I told him fine, then you are buying me a new gun. He asked what I meant. I told him we were going to court. I got the gun back, just before I hired a lawyer. It now works.



2. Another long story. I found WW1 practice bombs in a lake here. The first one I found I called 911. After three police agencies came out including the state police bomb squad, I was allowed to keep it after they put a big hole in it and broke the fins off the back. After finding 4 more and not having any paperwork, I decided to take one to the local police department and ask how to get paperwork saying they are harmless. LOL OOOPS. I didn't take it in the department. I asked for a Sgt and told him the story of the first one. He went to my truck with a rookie and saw them. Told me he didn't believe me and the whole area was sealed off and the state police bomb squad came out AGAIN. Luckily for me it was the same officer that came out the year before. You can google Port Huron bomb and get their story.

The chief of police told the state police Sgt he didn't want them in his city. The state police told him there was no law against me having them and I got it back. Really TICKED off the chief of police.



My advice and I was a cop for 9 years, is to KNOW the law in your state. DO NOT rely on the police. I heard of anther gun found in Michigan that was found and destroyed by a department supposedly. I don't know the whole story but he lost it before I told him the law.

Do I think cops really destroy guns? NO. Maybe dangerous ones but I really believe they are transferred to officers higher in the chain of command. Actually I know that but I can't tell the story because what I believe I know might be wrong, however I don't think so.

I have a HUGE trust issue. I have seen a lot. The only way you will protect yourself IF you want something back you trusted to the authorities, is to know the law yourself. Do not rely on ANY police department. They can conjure up great excuses not to return things that are NOT the law.

If you really don't want something back, turn it in and say goodbye to it. I did that to TWO live grenade fuses. If you want something for your collection, know the law and follow the law and make sure the police follow the law. I also got this gun and gun barrel back from the police. I found them in lakes also. The middle one is a 7 shot 22 derringer.



I can't even begin to count all the cash I have found in lakes. My largest take was 12 100.00 bills folded over and laying on the bottom. Did I turn them in? Not on your life. Cash is mine. And I find the owners myself for class rings. I don't rely on the police for anything.
 

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ScubaDetector said:
A LOT.

I read the heading and haven't read all the replies yet. However I do know laws vary from state to state and the POLICE MAKE their own laws. I have TWO major examples.

1. A gun in Michigan IF abandoned can be owned by the finder IF he is allowed to own a gun. I found a gun in a lake that was tossed in by the owner over 40 years ago. Michigan state law is clear. HOWEVER, the chief of police in that jurisdiction refused to give it back. He said the owner didn't want anyone to have it so it was going to be destroyed. I told him fine, then you are buying me a new gun. He asked what I meant. I told him we were going to court. I got the gun back, just before I hired a lawyer. It now works.



2. Another long story. I found WW1 practice bombs in a lake here. The first one I found I called 911. After three police agencies came out including the state police bomb squad, I was allowed to keep it after they put a big hole in it and broke the fins off the back. After finding 4 more and not having any paperwork, I decided to take one to the local police department and ask how to get paperwork saying they are harmless. LOL OOOPS. I didn't take it in the department. I asked for a Sgt and told him the story of the first one. He went to my truck with a rookie and saw them. Told me he didn't believe me and the whole area was sealed off and the state police bomb squad came out AGAIN. Luckily for me it was the same officer that came out the year before. You can google Port Huron bomb and get their story.

The chief of police told the state police Sgt he didn't want them in his city. The state police told him there was no law against me having them and I got it back. Really TICKED off the chief of police.



My advice and I was a cop for 9 years, is to KNOW the law in your state. DO NOT rely on the police. I heard of anther gun found in Michigan that was found and destroyed by a department supposedly. I don't know the whole story but he lost it before I told him the law.

Do I think cops really destroy guns? NO. Maybe dangerous ones but I really believe they are transferred to officers higher in the chain of command. Actually I know that but I can't tell the story because what I believe I know might be wrong, however I don't think so.

I have a HUGE trust issue. I have seen a lot. The only way you will protect yourself IF you want something back you trusted to the authorities, is to know the law yourself. Do not rely on ANY police department. They can conjure up great excuses not to return things that are NOT the law.

If you really don't want something back, turn it in and say goodbye to it. I did that to TWO live grenade fuses. If you want something for your collection, know the law and follow the law and make sure the police follow the law. I also got this gun and gun barrel back from the police. I found them in lakes also. The middle one is a 7 shot 22 derringer.



I can't even begin to count all the cash I have found in lakes. My largest take was 12 100.00 bills folded over and laying on the bottom. Did I turn them in? Not on your life. Cash is mine. And I find the owners myself for class rings. I don't rely on the police for anything.
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Well that is very nice in all, but did you read what it was I replied to. The user stated " does a thief return your stuff", so I really do not see how that applies or even your post.

In regards to not trusting police; that is your right. But at the agency I work for we trust other agencies, infact at Interpol we will give any agency full trust and only expect this in return, but if a single person decides to betray our trust or the trust of their own agency then they have a very serious problem.

But again I have no idea exactly what that has to do with a thief returning someones stuff, just makes no sense to me.
 

I have read so much and have seen so much. Civil forfeiture laws, police making their own laws. It is simple. Police departments and cops are crooks also. I have a tainted opinion. I know this. However, I have good reason to be.
 

Scuba, thanx for entering the discussion. Your input , as always, is much respected. And especially so in this one, since you were in law enforcement yourself for awhile! :)

odd-job and scuba: While there may be some corruption in law enforcement (heck, and in ANY field, since we're all only human): I would not go so far as to 'diss all cops and law officials as "thieves" . On the all, I trust them to do their job, and they have a hard job to do at that.

HOWEVER: in THIS particular arena, of whether or not they return lost items to you (if you turn them in for lost & found procedures), this has a different twist to it:

Because think of it: if you walk in to a police station, with a Rolex watch you found, here's the following elements at play in that desk-clerk's mind, when you hand it over to them:

a) It's not yours. You only "Found" it.

b) you're turning it in with the FULL REALIZATION that it may, in fact, be claimed (that's why you're there handing it to them afterall!)

c) a lot of stuff that gets turned in to the police as "found" never get re-claimed in the 90 days. Ie.: the persons do NOT show back up, inquiring "did it get claimed?".

So now put yourself in the shoes of that cop or clerk who was manning the desk that day: What's to stop you from calling your cousin Bob on the 89th day and saying : "Hey Bob, do you want a nice rolex watch ? Come down to the police station and describe a watch that looks like such & such, that you lost on such & such beach".

Now while that sounds dastardly, yet think of it: It was never your watch to begin with . You only "found" it. So how have you been harmed ? You turned it in with full expectation that you might not get it back (that it might be claimed). And the cops have no obligation to tell you who claimed it (privacy laws). So while that's , of course, not following the letter of the law for a cop that did that, yet I do not see that as the same as a shop-lifter, or someone stealing your Rolex at knife-point in a dark alley. Yes both are wrong, but in the case of the lost & found, the crossing of the line might seem a little more innocuous and harmless (ie.: no one's been harmed).

Obviously you or I would cry foul, since we wanted the Rolex we found detecting. But in the eyes of the cops and reality, it was never yours to begin with. Hence someone's conscience might cross that line a little easier, on the cop's part.
 

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Tom_in_CA said:
Scuba, thanx for entering the discussion. Your input , as always, is much respected. And especially so in this one, since you were in law enforcement yourself for awhile! :)

odd-job and scuba: While there may be some corruption in law enforcement (heck, and in ANY field, since we're all only human): I would not go so far as to 'diss all cops and law officials as "thieves" . On the all, I trust them to do their job, and they have a hard job to do at that.

HOWEVER: in THIS particular arena, of whether or not they return lost items to you (if you turn them in for lost & found procedures), this has a different twist to it:

Because think of it: if you walk in to a police station, with a Rolex watch you found, here's the following elements at play in that desk-clerk's mind, when you hand it over to them:

a) It's not yours. You only "Found" it.

b) you're turning it in with the FULL REALIZATION that it may, in fact, be claimed (that's why you're there handing it to them afterall!)

c) a lot of stuff that gets turned in to the police as "found" never get re-claimed in the 90 days. Ie.: the persons do NOT show back up, inquiring "did it get claimed?".

So now put yourself in the shoes of that cop or clerk who was manning the desk that day: What's to stop you from calling your cousin Bob on the 89th day and saying : "Hey Bob, do you want a nice rolex watch ? Come down to the police station and describe a watch that looks like such & such, that you lost on such & such beach".

Now while that sounds dastardly, yet think of it: It was never your watch to begin with . You only "found" it. So how have you been harmed ? You turned it in with full expectation that you might not get it back (that it might be claimed). And the cops have no obligation to tell you who claimed it (privacy laws). So while that's , of course, not following the letter of the law for a cop that did that, yet I do not see that as the same as a shop-lifter, or someone stealing your Rolex at knife-point in a dark alley. Yes both are wrong, but in the case of the lost & found, the crossing of the line might seem a little more innocuous and harmless (ie.: no one's been harmed).

Obviously you or I would cry foul, since we wanted the Rolex we found detecting. But in the eyes of the cops and reality, it was never yours to begin with. Hence someone's conscience might cross that line a little easier, on the cop's part.
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I do not diss all cops; infact I put my life in the hands of my fellow agents daily and other nations agency's we work.

In regards to turning something in, as the finder you have the right to create a paper trail starting with whom ever you have turned the found item into, be it a clerk at the court house or and officer of the law. Paper keeps even the opportunist honest.

As I mentioned before I keep a tidy paper trail because I hunt for profit and do not want the tax man questioning me as to why a retired Army guy working for Interpol who barely clears a 100K a year is filing taxes in excess of twice that figure.

I am fully aware that when I turn items in that I may not see them again, I am cool with that because it ensures whom ever the owner is that the system still does work. But when I suspect something wrong like in Germany when all finds where always claimed by the owners even the ones I turned in that where not finds just to prove my point then yes I expect to see when that file was closed and by whom. It is a chain of evidence and a simple filled request and they do have to release all information related to that case.

The person who claims a high value item must also prove the item belongs to them; I my self I have seen this many times with watches, an ear ring and a few rings with large stones in them. This must be done for a couple of reasons, first for the reason that you pointed out, anyone could claim it, but also the police need to ensure that whom ever is claiming this item actually has the legal means and that it was not purchased with illegal funds. There is also the threat of insurance fraud as well on high valued items. If you paid out a claim as an insurance company and then the item was found then the owner and the insurance company have to sort that out, and the claim would most certainly be registered with the police when the person reported it missing because lets face it, if you lost a high valued item you would report it missing because you need that report to file a claim.

Naturally the processes vary from place to place, but the in general law enforcement practice in the western world is based on a single model and does come fairly close all around.

Again though, as I have said in prior post I do not have issues with police. It would seem counter productive due to the nature of my profession, and because of my profession I have not yet run into a bad or corrupt cop that I know about. They do not exactly where a sign when a Interpol agents are in their AO, I wish they did though because it would be nice to know so that what ever wrongs they have made could be righted and their victims who hold a bad taste in general for us could actually one day feel they can trust us.

I have worked in 66 countries to date, heard and felt a great deal of hate directed towards us; this I am cool with, but the one things I am not cool with are the victims out there who you can tell they feel like they are wasting their time speaking with us and do not open up all the way because of what ever form of normality they call civilization has socially shaped them in to having no confidence in us. Sucks they have to feel that way and I can only speculate as to why they feel that way, but it is only speculation and not just to go pointing the finger at one person or a group of people.
 

I want to be clear also. I don't diss all cops at all either. I am just letting the users here know that if they want something returned to them that they give the police, THEY need to know the laws themselves, NOT rely on a local department to know. I have had many good interactions with police officers. Of course a few bad. Laws do vary from state to state right or wrong. Look at the age of consent laws by state. A big eye opener.

I was a good cop. I enjoyed the job and I thought I was helping others. I am not going to open a can of worms and state what happened to me.

If you feel inclined to turn something in you found, consider it gone and don't look back. If you really want it back after a certain time. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. I also don't believe there is a time frame. The investigation has to be complete and sometimes it takes more time than others.
 

I have been hunting parts of two F4 Phantom II aircraft that crashed after a mid air back in the late 1970s.
they are on BLM land in the calif desert.
Aircraft Aluminum and other metals sell good at scrap dealers some for up to $5.00 a pound.
Does this mean i have to turn in all this metal to the cops when i find it or because from the crash reports the government knows where it was and abandoned it its now free to salvage
 

I have never been a leo, but I have been stopped by a couple ( don't you just wonder how 12 hundys were lost in a lake?)
 

augoldminer, don't you recall the story, from 10 or 15 yrs. ago, where one of the surviving crew members of 1 of the planes that dropped 1 of the atomic bombs on Japan, had kept the cotter pin (or some such silly little screw or plug) that was the trigger, when pulled out of the slot, to start the timer on the bomb. He had kept it as a souvenir.

And now, well into his 80s, was going to pass on this heirloom to his kids. Who perhaps would could sell it (hey, a piece of world-changing history, eh ?). When the military / govt. got wind of this, they said the little metal item (which was probably no different than any screw or pin you can pick up in any hardware store) still belonged to the government. And that that flight crew member had no right to have taken that as a souvineer. And that perhaps it still could be deemed "classified" or "secret" blah blah. The family scoffed and said that the item had absolutely no pertinent info . on any secrets of atom bombs. It's a simple little screw/pin thing for pete's sake!

But the government insisted that it be returned , couldn't be sold at auction, d/t it still technically belonged to Uncle sam, blah blah. I guess the notion was, that this would understandably be a very valuable oddity for history sakes, and could fetch a lot of money at auction. Which is why it got into the news.

So while that's a different beast than your question, yet the legal precedents that govt. was making their claims on, seemingly would technically apply to your situation too perhaps. That even if left on a desert floor somewhere, does not in any way make it less than government owned property still ?
 

Rustynailsandscrews said:
That's how I roll !!! Finders are Keepers !
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It is very interesting, while I am on the beaches with my detector, I notice fools with expenses jewels. We pay a lot of money for our detectors, to find more then coins on beaches and parks. I agree with Rusty. What they lost, and we find. Keep it unless, the items have names, and phone numbers. Never give items to cops. It is not worth our hard work and energy and our expenses. Good hunting and good luck.
 

Honest Samuel said:
It is very interesting, while I am on the beaches with my detector, I notice fools with expenses jewels. We pay a lot of money for our detectors, to find more then coins on beaches and parks. I agree with Rusty. What they lost, and we find. Keep it unless, the items have names, and phone numbers. Never give items to cops. It is not worth our hard work and energy and our expenses. Good hunting and good luck.
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Honest Samuel, would you keep this stance if your wife lost her $10k ring ? Are you consistent with your words ?

Example: She's in the park , swinging your 5 yr. son on the swing set. Her ring flies off into the sandbox. She saw the direction it flew off in, so she's on her hands and knees sifting the sand in that area. To no avail. BUT NOT A PROBLEM! because her husband, honest-samuel , is a detector enthusiast. She calls you from her cell-phone. You say "no problem, I'll swing by after work to get it".

A few hours later, you're combing the spot meticulously, to no avail :( After 10 minutes, a curious on-looker comes up to you and says: "It's funny that you're combing this spot so hard. Because just 5 minutes before you got here, someone else was detecting here, and .... in this exact spot .... found something. Then let out a jubilent shout, while cupping their hands around something they were studying hard. Then swiftly put it in his apron and left. "

Naturally you'd put 2 + 2 together , and realize someone else had found your wife's ring. Perhaps you could hunt him down. Can he say "tough luck" and point you in the direction of this post ? What if he'd already sold it by then, and spent the money on a trip to disneyland ? Then are you S.O.L. ?

So you tell me: Is that $10k ring still rightfully belong to your wife ? Or is it now the property of the lucky fellow ?
 

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Yeah Florida. Where they went and passed a law extending the States 12 mile limit to 13 miles in Sept retroactive to July, after Fisher found the Atocha at 12.5 miles off shore. Anything found in Florida is supposed to belong to the State. Like in Texas any cache of coins is "Money from Robberies" unless proved otherwise and belongs to the State of Texas.
 

Tom, I was mainly writing about swim holes and beaches. I do not have a wife, but if I had one, I could not afford to purchased that expenses ring. If I had a wife with a expense ring, I tell her not to wear it in parks and swim holes and beaches, because if she did lost the ring, she be my ex-wife. Many times on the Milford, Connecticut beaches, women asked to me find their jewel and when I do, I do not accept rewards, but, advice them to leave their jewels home. I stand by my above comments. # 76.
To answer Tom question. Finders keepers, loser weepers. If people are too stupid to wear expenses jewels and carry coins and lose them in parks and beaches, then us hard working detectors can find what we find to pay for our detectors and other expense, and to support our families.
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Tom, one other thing, you did not think this problem through, no wife would leave the park until the husband or family member or friend came with a detector and find the ring.
 

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Do the police return found items to you that you've turned into them after 90 days?

The only thing i have ever turned in to the police was a wallet i found sitting on top of the community mailbox pod.

I opened it to see if i recognized the name/face on the Drivers License... except there was no drivers license, just a state issued ID card (they look almost identical in Texas).

I didn't recognize the name or face.

The guy was easily 40+ years old, and had no drivers license...?

Investigating further, i find a parole officers business card... It's an assumption on my part but i'm guessing the PO/no DL are connected.

At that point i felt that i owed no more attempts as a 'Good Samaritan' and turned it in to the local PD... Not out of fear - i'm just not a believer that one had 'paid their debt to society' because they did time in prison.

Off the top of my head, Texas may take your DL if you have DWI issues, street racing, identification forgery, or evading arrest convictions. I hear it is also revoked if you don't pay your child support.

If the dude genuinely was on the straight and narrow, maybe he got his wallet back.

Or maybe i was able to unintentionally give the LE a tip to find a guy who was breaking his parole requirements?

Either way, i don't care.



~Tejaas~
 

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