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Property & Evidence Unit
Menlo Park Police officers, citizens
and the MPPD property section collect and recover many items
of property everyday. Once items are submitted as evidence
or booked into the property section, only the property officers
can handle or release the items.
Evidence is handled differently from
other property items. Evidence items are handled carefully
by officers, packaged and labeled differently and tracked
to maintain a "chain of custody" when handled, collected,
stored, sent to the crime lab for analysis, or taken to court
and presented.
Items held as evidence may only be
released after any prosecution of the criminal case is completed
(i.e.; By dismissal, plea, trial or after sentencing) AND
after a "case disposition" is received from the
District Attorney's office. The D.A.'s office must approve
the release or return of all evidence used in a criminal case.
In some more serious cases, such as homicide, rape, assault
with a deadly weapon etc., evidence may not ever be released.
Our property officers do not have
information on case dispositions or other information about
evidence until they receive a disposition form from the D.A.
If you need more information on the
status of a criminal case, you should contact the San Mateo
County District Attorney's office at 650-363-4677. Ask to
speak to the Deputy DA handling the specific case. They can
advise you about evidence return status.
Any weapons, ammunition, illicit drugs
or narcotics confiscated or turned in to police will be destroyed.
Weapons taken for safekeeping at a
domestic violence incident may be retrieved at MPPD, if eligible,
and after receiving clearance from the Department of Justice.
If unclaimed within 180 days, they must be destroyed.
Found property, recovered and cleared
stolen property and items held for safekeeping or observation
are released to their owners, upon proof of ownership, or
eventually sent to public auction and sold. Some items in
dangerous, unusable, or poor or damaged condition may be discarded.
The California Civil Code requires
found property with a value of $100 or more be turned over
to the police department. We will give you a receipt. If unclaimed
by the owner(s), the found items you turn-in to police (including
cash or jewelry) can be claimed by you after 90 days.
Please call the police as soon as
possible. Found items may not be lost, but may actually be
stolen or become an important part of a crime police are now
investigating. Your discovery of the items may help solve
the case. Found property can be given to any police officer,
or you can bring it to the police station, 24 hours every
day.
If you find items in another city
(outside Menlo Park), please call or go to the police department
in the city or county where you find them and turn them in
there.
Weapons and ammunition - If you have
guns, rifles, shotguns, handguns, ammunition or any other
type of weapon that you own and want to discard, you can bring
it to the police station to be turned in for destruction at
any time - 24 hours every day. Please do not bring loaded
weapons to the police station. Or call us, an officer will
come collect it. If you do not know how the gun works, we'll
handle it for you. Weapons turned-in for destruction at the
police department cannot be released later.
If you find any gun or other weapon
outside, DO NOT TOUCH IT! Call police and officers will come
collect the weapon exactly where you found it. Call police
and request an officer come to where the weapon is to inspect
and unload it before handling it.
Gun Buybacks - Menlo Park Police does
not "buy" old or used weapons from residents. Menlo
Park Police have held sponsored "Gun Buy-back" programs
in past years, sponsored by local businesses. During "buy-back
programs", local citizens could turn-in old weapons in
exchange for a small cash amount. "Buy back" of
any weapons is done ONLY during these special programs. No
"Buy-back" programs are currently scheduled.
You can still turn-in weapons to police
at any time - 24 hours.
Explosives - PLEASE DO NOT bring explosives,
chemicals or hazardous materials to the police department
for destruction! Call us first! Do not touch it, handle it
or attempt to move it yourself! If you find or have any explosives,
unknown ammunition or flammables (including: dynamite, blasting
caps, fireworks, antique military items or ordinance) or any
other possibly volatile hazardous materials you want to dispose
of please call 330-6300.
Tell police dispatchers what you have
and they will send officers or other experts to examine it
and secure it. Old explosives, ammunition and chemicals can
be very unstable, sensitive to movement and CAN EXPLODE if
moved or handled incorrectly. Specially trained experts must
handle these items. An officer will come to your home and
inspect the item before calling experts to remove it.
KEEP YOUR RECEIPT -
It is your proof of possession or ownership.
Your Field Property Receipt - If items
are collected or taken from you by Menlo Park officers, they
may issue and/or have you sign a Field Property Receipt. This
form will list the items and provide information about your
rights to collect the property later. The reverse side of
your receipt will have instructions on how property will be
handled or released.
- Please see THIS
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