Property & Evidence

Responsibilities

The Property and Evidence Division is responsible for maintaining custody of the following:

• Property recovered by the Police Department from a crime scene
• Found property reported from a citizen
• Property taken for safekeeping

All property taken in by the Police Department is inventoried, labeled, cataloged, and then placed in secured areas for preservation. All property booked into the Police Department maintains a strict accounting of chain-of-custody, to preserve the integrity of investigations and ensure the property is properly returned, destroyed or maintained as part of criminal investigations.

Those interested in the release of property held at the Police Department should contact the Property and Evidence Division at 951-769-8500 to set up an appointment time. Proof of ownership and a picture ID is required for the release of all property.

Policies & Procedures

Policies and procedures for recovering property in the possession of the Beaumont Police Department vary according to the type of property being held.

• Found Property - Found property is held for a period of 90 days. If the property is unable to be returned to the rightful owner, it may be offered back to the finder. The Police Property Unit will mail a letter to the finder. A response must be made within 15 days from the date on the letter in order for the finder to be able to claim the property.
• Property Held for Safekeeping - Property held for safekeeping will be held for a period of at least 60 days. If the owner of the items is known, a letter will be mailed to the owner requiring that the owner responds by telephone within 15 days to retrieve the items. If no response is received within 15 days, the items may be disposed of in the manner prescribed by law. Firearms held for safekeeping are an exception.
• Firearms - Find out more on our Firearms page.
• Evidence - Felony Arrest Cases evidence items will be held for a minimum of 60 days from the date of final disposition. If the owner does not claim the items at that time, they may be disposed of or destroyed in the manner prescribed by law. In misdemeanor Arrest Cases, evidence will be held for 30 days from the date of sentencing and then items will be disposed of or destroyed in the manner prescribed by law. No Arrest or Suspect, if no arrest has been made and/or no suspect identified, evidence items may be held up to one year or longer depending on the status of the case
• Vehicles - Find out more on our Vehicles page.