So, the police stole my buddies car trailer...

[Forever_frost]

I'm good Jason. Been being a Dad which has been a very busy time and the Council has me occupied along with my final semester in school. Hectic like crazy in addition to just getting back from New Zealand.

Police should never benefit from anything they seize. If it's cash, it should be turned over to the state itself if it can be 100% linked to a crime and there has been due process. If it is property, it should be, if the owner refuses to take it back, be destroyed.

Police are already funded by taxes. There should be no benefit for them doing their job ie asset forfeiture giving them sports cars to make into police cars or cash going into their budgets.

[kingjason]

Yeah I didn't know that. So that's every single time, and its required by law? What happens to the individuals involved in this process, if they don't go through all of those steps? Or if they just write down that the owner/insurance co didn't want it back? What would be the repercussions of that, if the insurance simply never knew that their trailer had been found? Or the individual? Then what would happen?

Which to me, it seems extremely unlikely. Are these insurance companies, and individuals, saying that they don't want their stuff back?

We impound said property or put it in evidence. The owner is notified and it is picked up almost always. I saw a gun returned a few years ago that was from a paper report like 15 years prior. I think our CID tracked down the owner. He was shocked. In the event that an owner can't be notified or the insurance company can't pick it up, it is sold at auction, 30 days after the wrecker company gets the receipt from a certified letter to the registered owners address or insurance company. The wrecker company gets all the proceeds and are not affiliated with the PD at all (IIRC).

You would be amazed at home many people and insurance companies say eff it. I'm real good friends with a wrecker company owner. The best deal I have seen was a car worth $35k that was a stolen recovered. Insurance had paid off the owner, so insurance owned it. It NEVER got picked up..They auctioned, new owner gets clear title. They made huge money on that car. Happens all the time. Just look at Rene Bates or lonestar.

This is also very true. Not usually the owner that won't pick it up, but the insurance companies. I have seen stripped cars though that the owner won't pick up.

[dcs13]

What insurance company, or individual, is going to say "Oh yeah, sure. Fuck it. We don't want money. You know what... you keep it". Everyone and their dog is going to want their shit back. And yet, we see them being sold to benefit the departments. We definitely need some much greater oversight on all this.

You would be amazed at home many people and insurance companies say eff it. I'm real good friends with a wrecker company owner. The best deal I have seen was a car worth $35k that was a stolen recovered. Insurance had paid off the owner, so insurance owned it. It NEVER got picked up..They auctioned, new owner gets clear title. They made huge money on that car. Happens all the time. Just look at Rene Bates or lonestar.

[Gasser64]

It is returned if a insurance company hasn't paid off on it. See below. How you doing Frost? Long time not chat!




You are making a assumption of what happens to stolen recovered property and you are wrong. Maybe somewhere in this monstrosity of a thread this has not been addressed. You see, we do in fact locate the original owner or reporting party, then the trailer is returned to them. If the insurance company has paid the trailer off on a claim then they are contacted to come get the trailer. The police do not keep these and just auction them off. We contact the original reporting agency and they contact the RP or the insurance company.

Yeah I didn't know that. So that's every single time, and its required by law? What happens to the individuals involved in this process, if they don't go through all of those steps? Or if they just write down that the owner/insurance co didn't want it back? What would be the repercussions of that, if the insurance simply never knew that their trailer had been found? Or the individual? Then what would happen?

Which to me, it seems extremely unlikely. Are these insurance companies, and individuals, saying that they don't want their stuff back?

[kingjason]

If it's stolen, it should be returned to the owner. If that's not possible, then it should be cut up and destroyed. Isn't there a law against profiting from the proceeds of a crime?

It is returned if a insurance company hasn't paid off on it. See below. How you doing Frost? Long time no chat!

Yeah what happened to this? If that vin is still somewhere on the trailer, that moron thieves likely didn't get, then it should be just a few keystrokes away from getting it back to its original owner. Or, if they were insured, and the insurance paid out, then it is now clearly the property of the insurance company, and it needs to be handed over to them so they can see it at one of THEIR auctions, and not one that goes to benefit whatever cause nets the police some new equipment. As we are seeing here, and other places around the country.

The point is, the police are taking what isn't theirs, and using it for their own gain, or the gain of their town/county. Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because an item was stolen, doesn't make it right for police to steal it yet again. Which is what it is, unless its returned to the original owner or insurance company. Instead of the thief getting to benefit from the theft, now you're benefiting from the theft.

You are making a assumption of what happens to stolen recovered property and you are wrong. Maybe somewhere in this monstrosity of a thread this has not been addressed. You see, we do in fact locate the original owner or reporting party, then the trailer is returned to them. If the insurance company has paid the trailer off on a claim then they are contacted to come get the trailer. The police do not keep these and just auction them off. We contact the original reporting agency and they contact the RP or the insurance company.

[Gasser64]

If it's stolen, it should be returned to the owner. If that's not possible, then it should be cut up and destroyed. Isn't there a law against profiting from the proceeds of a crime?

Yeah what happened to this? If that vin is still somewhere on the trailer, that moron thieves likely didn't get, then it should be just a few keystrokes away from getting it back to its original owner. Or, if they were insured, and the insurance paid out, then it is now clearly the property of the insurance company, and it needs to be handed over to them so they can see it at one of THEIR auctions, and not one that goes to benefit whatever cause nets the police some new equipment. As we are seeing here, and other places around the country.

The point is, the police are taking what isn't theirs, and using it for their own gain, or the gain of their town/county. Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because an item was stolen, doesn't make it right for police to steal it yet again. Which is what it is, unless its returned to the original owner or insurance company. Instead of the thief getting to benefit from the theft, now you're benefiting from the theft.

[davbrucas]

I agree with the guys above. Law enforcement should NOT be able to benefit at ALL from their crime fighting activities. It leads to policing for profit like we've seen the past forever.

[Sean88gt]

If citizens treated the chattel of others the way that police do, they would be jailed. That is a problem.

[snacksnack]

If it's stolen, it should be returned to the owner. If that's not possible, then it should be cut up and destroyed.

Exactly

But you have to prove its been stolen and not just some bullshit we cant figure out if its YOURS.

[Forever_frost]

So anyone could then just steal a trailer and grind off the VIN. I mean if all your going to get is a ticket. Hey, I get it, it sucks, and a lot of people do it. Doesn't make it right. There is a shit load of stolen trailers out there and if you ever had a trailer stolen you wouldn't feel this way. Easy way to fix this. Do away with BS homemade trailer tags. Either get a builders VIN like a street rod, or bonded title. I have seen very few actual homemade trailers in my lifetime.

If it's stolen, it should be returned to the owner. If that's not possible, then it should be cut up and destroyed. Isn't there a law against profiting from the proceeds of a crime?

[JC316]

? Somehow, somewhere down the way, the people voted for these people that put these laws in place. You missed the part about where these always go to court. I am sure the courts that try these get zero dollars. Now that being said, yeah I don't doubt over the years there have been some shady underhanded deals but I could never see it happening in this day and age in any city not in the dark ages. As most on here should know, I am not the zero tolerance type of guy. I was just explaining why things happens and some of the inner workings. We lost a fairly nice trailer last night. I guess someone should just go slap a homemade tag on it and call it a day. Trailer theft is rampant around DFW, some places it gets addressed more then others. If you don't like the system, go out and voice your opinion, vote people out of office, or run for office and make the big changes. You guys are looking at it from purely a punitive on the man stance. In reality it is a real problem that needs addressed. You guys are right, FTP, screw every one in charge of everything because apparently cops do zero right these days.

I am not part of the FTP crowd, I know that the majority are good guys.

Yeah, it goes to a court hearing, but the burden of proof should be on the law enforcement, not the citizen. How can you prove that your shit wasn't part of a crime?

[kingjason]

Man, there is a really clear line between right and wrong. I don't give a good god damn if you're using the proceeds to house and feed homeless orphans, if it looks like theft, it's theft. If ANYONE without a badge pulled this shit, it would be considered theft. Oh, I was only stealing from criminals and the money I got was used to buy necessities in my home.

The badge doesn't make cops saints, they can be tempted just like every other human on this planet and when the system makes it that easy to steal, it's going to happen on a regular basis. For it to be even remotely right, you shouldn't have to plead your case to the very people that are benefiting from the money. Send it to court and prove your case.

? Somehow, somewhere down the way, the people voted for these people that put these laws in place. You missed the part about where these always go to court. I am sure the courts that try these get zero dollars. Now that being said, yeah I don't doubt over the years there have been some shady underhanded deals but I could never see it happening in this day and age in any city not in the dark ages. As most on here should know, I am not the zero tolerance type of guy. I was just explaining why things happens and some of the inner workings. We lost a fairly nice trailer last night. I guess someone should just go slap a homemade tag on it and call it a day. Trailer theft is rampant around DFW, some places it gets addressed more then others. If you don't like the system, go out and voice your opinion, vote people out of office, or run for office and make the big changes. You guys are looking at it from purely a punitive on the man stance. In reality it is a real problem that needs addressed. You guys are right, FTP, screw every one in charge of everything because apparently cops do zero right these days.

[JC316]

No, it's punishment for committing a felony in most cases. They will seize your POS car also. Not just selective. We use the proceeds to buy equipment we need. You act like everyone at the department gets some kind of bonus. I can't remember the last time my current department seized something so not really my fight on this. I am just explaining to you kind gentlemen why it happens.

Man, there is a really clear line between right and wrong. I don't give a good god damn if you're using the proceeds to house and feed homeless orphans, if it looks like theft, it's theft. If ANYONE without a badge pulled this shit, it would be considered theft. Oh, I was only stealing from criminals and the money I got was used to buy necessities in my home.

The badge doesn't make cops saints, they can be tempted just like every other human on this planet and when the system makes it that easy to steal, it's going to happen on a regular basis. For it to be even remotely right, you shouldn't have to plead your case to the very people that are benefiting from the money. Send it to court and prove your case.

[kingjason]

I've owned a ton of dirt bikes and I never register them. I receive an MSO from dealer and when decide to sell I give that plus a bill of sale. I'm not paying the fees to register a bike ridden only on private property.

Yep, I get that, I just forgot to mention MSO's also as those are legit. I had my MSO on my last 4 wheeler I bought from a another guy. Sold it with the MSO also. Not something people use on the streets either. If it was intended to be used on the streets you would title it and register it. I was just pointing out something that was common practice at one point in the past, but most people look for a title now days or MSO.

[davbrucas]

I've owned a ton of dirt bikes and I never register them. I receive an MSO from dealer and when decide to sell I give that plus a bill of sale. I'm not paying the fees to register a bike ridden only on private property.