Keep hold of lost propety

South Yorkshire Police say it will prevent the public from having to make unncessary journeys to their local police enquiry desks if they find an item of property.

The police would still like details of any found property and would encourage the public to hold onto the item and call 101.

Chief Superintendent Rob Odell, Head of the Criminal Justice Administration Department said: “We are still interested in found property, but our message to the public is to hold onto the item and call 101 to report it.”

“Our new approach to dealing with found property will not only improve the service to the public but also save the Force money, as the storage and disposal of found property can be costly. This also comes at a time when the police are facing budget reductions and we have to prioritise our money into frontline policing.”

Once details of the property have been reported to the police, generally the advice to the public will be to hold onto the property for two weeks and if the owner is not located to either keep or dispose of the item. In certain circumstances the police will decide to retain the item of found property, for instance if it is deemed to be an illegal or dangerous item and bank or credit card.

Other forces have adopted similar methods to deal with found property.