Property Unit

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Property Unit

The Property Unit provides a secure storage area for evidence in criminal cases. Officers submit evidence with instructions such as: forward to the Evidence Technician; hold for evidence; forward to The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for analysis; return to owner; or destroy. The Evidence Technician maintains a log of items checked out for court or laboratory examination. The technician also records who checked the item out, the date of release, and the date of return. Evidence is maintained by the Property Unit until it is determined that the item is of no evidentiary value, or the court authorizes the property's release.

The Property Unit also serves as a "lost and found" for the City of Stillwater. Found items such as bicycles, wallets, keys, and others are routinely turned over to property to be claimed by the owner. The Evidence Technician makes an attempt to contact any known owner of found property. The owner then has 90 days to claim their item. If an item remains unclaimed, or the owner is unknown, the property is disposed of by destruction or by public auction. Unclaimed bicycles are donated to local non-profit organizations. The unit hosts an auction once a year to dispose of unclaimed, abandoned, and seized items. In October 1997, the City of Stillwater and Payne County held their first joint auction at the Payne County Fairgrounds.

Found items can sometimes be reported to Police and retained by the finder. In these cases, the Evidence Technician maintains a record of items found that are retained by the finder. When this occurs, the finder of property must store the item for a period of 90 days. During this time the finder must not dispose of the item and must return the property to the owner if located. If at the end of the 90 days the owner is still unknown, the item becomes the property of the finder. If you have lost something, the Property Unit is a good place to check.

If you would like more information about the Property Unit, or would like to inquire about property issues, please contact:

Stillwater Police Department
Property Clerk
P.O. Box 1725
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74076
(405) 372-4171