Stolen tools may be sold on eBay if their owners can't be found -with funds going into the Police Property Act Fund
We're far from the distant days of auctioneers with gavels hosting police auctions - with stolen gear now being auctioned on eBay. Thames Valley Police announced the sale on their Facebook page, and a number of angry comments have already started to be posted.
TVP's Facebook Post says: "Firstly we would like to thank everyone who has been in contact with us trying to claim your tools. Today we have finished going through all the tools checking for your identifiable marks. Unfortunately we haven't been able to return as much property as we wanted. But for one lucky person we have managed to identify this tool box and we will be in contact with you shortly.
When we come across things like this it makes our job very hard to located the owners. If you are a trade person please mark your tools with your FULL NAME or HOUSE NUMBER AND POST CODE. That way we will be able to put it into our systems and it will come up with the linked crime number. The tool box we found the owner for done just that. They put there FULL NAME on the box and with a quick search we managed to find their crime number.
So what will be happening with the tools?
Once all enquiries are completed a decision is then made as to how best to handle the property. Where possible we always try to return property however there are times when this is not possible or appropriate or items are not collected.
A decision is then made as to whether it is suitable destruction, donation or can go to auction.
The funds raised by eBay go into the Police Property Act Fund and can be applied for, via the Chief Constable, for donation to charity.
For people who are interested these tools will be put onto our Ebay page over the next coming weeks. Please visit http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Thames-Valley-Police-Auctions…"
