Taken by police... then what?
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TRI-CITIES, Wash. -- The KEPR Crime Tracker is always identifying crimes and criminals. A raid can turn up guns, drugs, money or stolen goods. But where do those items end up? Some stuff gets destroyed, but other stuff is free for you to bid on.
It's an everyday thing for a police officer. Captain Jim Raymond explains, "You arrest someone, they have a pocketful of jewelry.. Well, it's generally not their jewelry."
So where does that jewelry go? Danielle Stevens has always wanted to know. She says, "Well I've watched enough CSI to kinda see it in your head.. To some random place where they keep everything."
It's not quite so Hollywood at the Pasco Police station.
Raymond points at a small room, "This is the evidence processing room, it's where the officers will bring in the property."
From there? Well I looked at the most common confiscated items:
1. Guns.
Raymond tells KEPR, "Guns are chopped. We take them to where they are actually physically cut into little itty-bitty pieces."
2. Drugs, like marijuana...
He continues, "We go outside Tri-Cities and have a controled burn."
And the third you might be more surprised. Raymond reveals, '"One of the most common things are bicycles. Piles and piles of bicycles."
The most likely stolen and ditched bikes get donated to charity after 90 days. The rest is a grab bag, from iPhones to clothes.. And even cars. I found out many police stations sell these extras online.
PropertyRoom.com is a collection of things taken off criminals or their property, all up for bids. Some cars go for as little as $350. The money goes back to the police department that confiscated it.
Danielle says, "If it benefits the community and police force, why not?"
Locally, only about 20 cars are sold per year from police auctions.
"We do see some cars, though.. But they're crime-related when we seize them," Raymond says.
But even Danielle has her limits. She laughs, "No blood stains, okay."
Police say they do try to find the property's owner before it goes online. So it's important that you always report your missing things.
It's an everyday thing for a police officer. Captain Jim Raymond explains, "You arrest someone, they have a pocketful of jewelry.. Well, it's generally not their jewelry."
So where does that jewelry go? Danielle Stevens has always wanted to know. She says, "Well I've watched enough CSI to kinda see it in your head.. To some random place where they keep everything."
It's not quite so Hollywood at the Pasco Police station.
Raymond points at a small room, "This is the evidence processing room, it's where the officers will bring in the property."
From there? Well I looked at the most common confiscated items:
1. Guns.
Raymond tells KEPR, "Guns are chopped. We take them to where they are actually physically cut into little itty-bitty pieces."
2. Drugs, like marijuana...
He continues, "We go outside Tri-Cities and have a controled burn."
And the third you might be more surprised. Raymond reveals, '"One of the most common things are bicycles. Piles and piles of bicycles."
The most likely stolen and ditched bikes get donated to charity after 90 days. The rest is a grab bag, from iPhones to clothes.. And even cars. I found out many police stations sell these extras online.
PropertyRoom.com is a collection of things taken off criminals or their property, all up for bids. Some cars go for as little as $350. The money goes back to the police department that confiscated it.
Danielle says, "If it benefits the community and police force, why not?"
Locally, only about 20 cars are sold per year from police auctions.
"We do see some cars, though.. But they're crime-related when we seize them," Raymond says.
But even Danielle has her limits. She laughs, "No blood stains, okay."
Police say they do try to find the property's owner before it goes online. So it's important that you always report your missing things.
