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The Property Officer maintains property within a secure facility accessible only to the Property Officer and the Police Chief, while in the care and custody of the Cle Elum Police Department.
Property is taken into custody by the Police Department for various reasons: as evidence that a crime was committed or attempted, as recovered stolen property, as found property or when a court order has been issued to the Police Department to take custody of property or for safe keeping.
Types of Property and Evidence
Property that is considered as evidence, or recovered stolen property and is not unlawful to possess will in most cases be available to the owner upon completion of any criminal trial process and is released by the Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney.
Property that is considered as found property and is not unlawful to possess will in most cases will be available to the owner immediately.
Property of a known owner is considered as safekeeping or held by court order and is not unlawful to possess will in most cases be available to the owner upon reason for safekeeping or court order hold is satisfied and is released by the authority placing the hold.
Property that is available for the owner and the owner is known, the Cle Elum Police Department will attempt to call and/or send a certified/return receipt to the owner’s last known information via information with the property or via public information. Information will be provided to the owner on how to contact the Property Officer for an appointment to receive the property.
When property is available for the owner and the owner is not known, the owner can not be found or the owner fails to claim or wishes not to claim their property and all possible efforts to locate the owner have been exhausted, the property is then considered unclaimed.
Unclaimed property will be disposed of according to Washington State Law under R.C.W. Titles63.21(Return to finder), 63.32(Agency or other public use) (destroyed), 9.41(Agency or other public use).
If you have any questions about property that is being held at the Police Department, please contact the Property Officer at 509-674-2991.