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Oswego Police Department Teams Up with PropertyRoom.com to Save Money, Sell Confiscated Goods
2009.09.04
The Oswego Police Department is teaming up with California-based PropertyRoom.com in an effort to clear holding rooms of confiscated items that were stolen, seized or abandoned, and could not be returned to their rightful owners. By doing this, the agency stands to save the community money that would otherwise be spent on housing and auctioning the merchandise locally. The agency receives a minimum of 50 percent of the revenue from each sale, without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses.
“With the economy doing poorly, theft has become a bigger issue. So has the need for the city to keep expenses low and find ways to generate revenue,” explains Captain Plock, of the Police Department. “Teaming up with PropertyRoom.com is in the best interests of the community because it will save the tax payers money and get items out of our building and into the hands of people who can use them.”
PropertyRoom.com currently works in conjunction with more than 1,800 law enforcement and other public agencies across the country. Through their process, they free up the hours that agencies would otherwise have to spend cataloging and auctioning off confiscated items, free up the property and evidence rooms, so that they may safely keep the evidence and property that is relevant to ongoing investigations, and make better use of the agencies personnel their training and skills.
The online auction site picks up the portable property and takes it to one of their warehouses, where it is tested, cataloged, photographed, and auctioned online to the public. With people nationwide having access to the auctions, the agency has a much greater chance of selling the item than if they tried to sell it at the station in an older style parking lot auction.
Most opening bids may begin as low as $1.00, allowing more people to participate in the auction, and providing a great opportunity for the public to obtain the goods at minimal rates. Merchandise offered through the site varies each week and includes such items as jewelry, bikes, tools, land, computers, cars, designer fashions, and wall paintings.
“The relationship we have established saves the city money in man power, overflow, storage and time,” adds Captain Plock. “The item is easily put online and goes to the highest bidder. Then we share in the revenue. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
PropertyRoom.com was founded in 1999 by Tom Lane, a former police detective who created a solution to help law enforcement agencies solve the problem of what to do with their recovered goods. Today, the company works with law enforcement and other public agencies across the country to auction off confiscated goods that could not be returned to their rightful owners. Property Room.com, Inc. also auctions public agency surplus and vehicles. To learn more about PropertyRoom.com, visit the Web site at http://www.propertyroom.com.
Attachment: Download a .pdf of this press release
Link: http://www.propertyroom.com
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