Should Police Departments Keep Proceeds From Unclaimed Property?
State law requires departments to transfer profits from unclaimed property sales to the Rhode Island general fund. Some lawmakers would like that to change.
Under Rhode Island law, if property is turned into police departments and remains unclaimed for six months, departments have two choices: destroy the property or to sell it and hand the profits over the state’s general fund.
Middletown Police Detective Lt. John Dring said it would make sense if departments were able to put that money back into their operating budget.
A bill introduced by Sen. Christopher Ottiano (R-Bristol, Portsmouth, Tiverton) would do just that.
“What we have done in the past is we try to auction it off,” said Lt. Dring. “It’s a time-consuming process for the police department. We have a lot of items that are turned in.”
Dring said there is little incentive for departments to spend time selling the items, so they tend to sit in storage.
The bill, S0289, would allow police departments to use any income from the sale of the property “for police related community functions, to replace stolen property and/or for law enforcement.”
“It just makes sense,” said Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Middletown, Newport, Little Compton, Tiverton), who co-sponsored the bill.
What do you think? Should local police departments be allowed to keep profits earned from abandoned property auctions?
Michelle
9:10 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I say no. I'm sorry that the police need an "incentive" for the drudgery aspects of their jobs, but that does not give them the right to make money from property that is not theirs. Worst-case scenario, this kind of thinking might lead to an argument regarding what becomes their property, as it would be viewed as potential income. I'm curious about what is done w/ collected guns? The argument that "it would make sense if departments were able to put that money back into their operating budget" bears no ground b/c the money isn't going "back into" anything... it was never theirs to start w/. I understand that storage and selling take time and money from their pot and is something no one wants to deal w/. Hey, so do taxes - so do other agencies and people, have to use money and work effort for directives that are difficult, unwanted, and roblematic. Setting precedents regarding profit from items of property held by police is a conflict of interest and a rather scary thought. Leave it as is b/c the state is in major need of any kind of income. If it is decided by the state that the police departments have a major need for money, as equitable or in greater need than any other agencies, then there should be a caveat to make such allowances, but only after filtering through the state's general fund.
SeeUinRI
10:50 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Yes, but only if it will be used for certain things that will betterment to fight crime, hire more policemen, etc;. The same should go with money confiscated during drug deals, raids, etc;.
John Smith
12:46 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
No profits should be made from other peoples belongings. Instead of trying to sell the property. It should just be returned. Unclaimed does not mean unmarked.