The Olympian Logo

Police seek to donate unclaimed property | The Olympian

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • Archives

    • News
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Death Notices
    • Education
    • Local News
    • Military News
    • Obituaries
    • Politics & Government
    • State
    • Traffic
    • Watchdog
    • Weather
    • Opinion
    • Cartoons
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Sports
    • College
    • High School
    • Mariners
    • Preps Stats
    • Seahawks
    • Sounders
    • UW Huskies
    • Politics
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Food
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Restaurants
    • Outdoors
    • Fishing

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Politics & Government

Police seek to donate unclaimed property

By Ashley Bach - Seattle Times

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 04, 2007 12:00 AM

A microwave left in the middle of the road. A crate of stolen diapers. Duffel bags full of clothes swiped from Macy's.

Because of a restrictive state law, some of the discarded or stolen property picked up by police falls through the cracks, police say. Instead of going to auction or charity, it heads to the dump.

"It's really sad to see usable items go in the trash," said Kelly Donnelly, a Mercer Island police evidence technician.

The Legislature may change that. A bill pushed by Donnelly and two police groups is winding its way through the House and Senate and has a good chance of being approved this year, legislative staffers say.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Most police departments pick up thousands of items a year, much of it stolen property but also some items that were lost or discarded. The valuable stuff, such as cars and new electronics, goes to auction, most at www.propertyroom.com, but auctioneers don't accept anything else.

Many of the remaining unclaimed items, such as clothes or older electronics, would be valuable to charities, but a quirk in state law allows police to donate only toys and bicycles. The State Patrol isn't allowed to donate anything.

The law requires police keep all unclaimed items at least 60 days, but after then, technicians say, a lot of things get thrown out because evidence rooms are overflowing.

The bill would allow police, including the State Patrol, to donate any unclaimed personal property to tax-exempt charities.

Donnelly, who first pushed for a change in state law in 2004, has the support of some lawmakers, an informal group of evidence technicians and the Law Enforcement Information and Records Association, another state group. The bill was passed by the House in 2005 and 2006 but didn't make it to a vote in the Senate. No one has ever testified against the bill.

This year, versions of the bill are House Bill 1268 and Senate Bill 5193.

  Comments  

Videos

Trump announces national emergency to get border wall funding

Sen. McConnell says Trump will sign spending bill and declare a national emergency

View More Video

Trending Stories

Weather-related school information for Friday

February 14, 2019 04:07 PM

Despite resident pleas, Lacey policy is to clear only main roads during snowstorms

February 15, 2019 07:00 AM

Bill would prohibit authorities from ticketing homeless people for sleeping on sidewalks

February 14, 2019 10:33 AM

Thurston Co. students are finally heading back to school. What took so long?

February 15, 2019 08:11 AM

The new year is off to a good start for prospective Thurston County home buyers

February 14, 2019 07:00 AM
Local display advertising by PaperG

Read Next

Latest: Governor praises police response in Aurora shooting
Video media Created with Sketch.

Nation & World

Latest: Governor praises police response in Aurora shooting

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 04:04 PM

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has commended the "amazing" work of law enforcement officers who responded to the scene of a shooting in suburban Chicago that left five people dead and five police officers shot and wounded.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

APNewsBreak: Allred contacted authorities about R Kelly tape

Celebrities

APNewsBreak: Allred contacted authorities about R Kelly tape

February 15, 2019 02:48 PM
The Latest: Judiciary chair seeks hearing on emergency claim

Nation & World

The Latest: Judiciary chair seeks hearing on emergency claim

February 15, 2019 02:02 PM
PAC plans new effort to put a black candidate on the 2020 Democratic ticket

Local

PAC plans new effort to put a black candidate on the 2020 Democratic ticket

February 15, 2019 09:02 AM
McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

Local

McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

February 15, 2019 11:10 AM

Nation & World

66 killed in Nigerian state before presidential election

February 15, 2019 10:33 AM
Congressional Democrats bring fight to restore Voting Rights Act to North Carolina

Local

Congressional Democrats bring fight to restore Voting Rights Act to North Carolina

February 15, 2019 08:39 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Olympian App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Contests-Promotions
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story