Police to sell unclaimed Shropshire seized property for charity
Police in Shropshire are raising thousands of pounds for charity by selling off unclaimed stolen property.
Metals such as lead and copper, bikes and power tools are among the more common items seized from suspects during arrests and searches.
Large amounts of property seized by officers pass through property offices at the county’s main police stations. Much of it is traced back to grateful owners, especially when security marked with substances like SmartWater.
But items which remain unclaimed are auctioned off with the proceeds split between the West Mercia Police Community Fund and Flint House, the national police rehabilitation centre in Oxfordshire.
The PC Fund, which is also boosted by voluntary contributions from West Mercia officers and staff, plough the money back into the community helping scores of the more serious victims of crime and various projects with donations.
Property officer Alan Jeffries, based at Shrewsbury police station, said: “Every effort is made to trace the owners of seized stolen property, but it is not always possible.
“If an offender admits items are stolen, they often can’t say where or who from. It can then be very difficult to trace the rightful owner and sometimes we have no option but to sell the goods.
“We prefer to reunite people with their stolen property – but failing that, the money goes to two very good causes. Security marking property with a product such as SmartWater, which glows under an ultra violet light, is an excellent way of helping police identify who it belongs to and vastly increases the chances of it being returned,” he added.
Last year, the sale of unclaimed seized property in Shropshire raised more than £1,600 and the first three months of this year, has brought in another £624.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards, the head of Shropshire CID, said: “More and more people are protecting their valuables by security marking, including bulky items such as lead on rooftops and copper cable, boilers and piping.
“However, if seized property is not claimed, it eventually has to be sold with the funds raised going to charity. My advice is to security mark your valuables – it acts as a crime deterrent while increasing the chances of getting your property back if stolen.”
