Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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9.1 Legal Process: Property
9.1.3 Property Disposal: Methods (Revised: 5/10/23 )
The methods used in the disposal of property acquired through the legal process function are
outlined in General Order 9.6.2, “Disposition of Property and Evidence.” Legal seizures of
property for Department usage will be coordinated by the UCSF Detective Sergeant with the San
Francisco County District Attorney, and approved by the Chief of Police. Requests for the
acquisition of unclaimed property held by this Department for Department or other public use
shall be documented by memorandum and forwarded to the Chief of Police. All requests shall
include complete justification for acquiring the property and copies of all relevant agency
documents describing how the requested property came into possession of the Department. The
approval should be completed wit hin the same 90 day time frame allowed to the rightful owner.
Any property not claimed by the police department can be dispo dsed of by an Evidence and
Records Technician .
A. After a request has been approved by the Chief of Police, additional documents sh all be
obtained, as described below, when the property to be acquired for Department use is a
firearm:
1. A Certificate of Weapon Retention obtained from and signed by a judge or
District Attorney
2. A letter describing the make, model, caliber and serial number of the firearm,
prepared for the signature of the Chief of Police, to the California Department of
Justice (DOJ)
All other unclaimed firearms must be destroyed.
B. If the reported value of the property is two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or more and no
owner appears and proves his or her ownership of the property within 90 days, the police
or sheriff’s department shall cause notice of the property to be published at least once in a
newspaper of general circulation. If, after seven days follo wing the first publication of the
notice, no owner appears and proves his or her ownership of the property and the person
who found or saved the property pays the cost of the publication, the title shall vest in the
person who found or saved the property, unless the property was found in the course of
employment by an employee of any public agency, in which case the property shall be
sold at public auction. Title to the property shall not vest in the person who found or
saved the property or in the successf ul bidder at the public auction unless the cost of
publication is first paid to the city, county or city and county whose police or sheriff’s
department caused the notice to be published.
If the reported value of the property is less than two hundred fift y dollars ($250) and no
owner appears and proves his or her ownership of the property within 90 days, the title
shall vest in the person who found or saved the property, unless the property was found in
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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the course of employment by an employee of any public agency, in which case the
property shall be sold at public auction, per California Civil Code § 2080.3.
C. Unclaimed property with a value of over $5,000.00 that has been acquired by the
Department shall be included on the Department inventory. A list of property that has
been acquired for agency use shall be maintained by the Evidence and Records
Technicians , and a copy of the list shall be forwarded to the TSD Director .
D. Notwithstanding an order from the court to the contrary, money that is in the possession
of the Department and that cannot be lawfully returned to its owner (after consultation
with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office) shall be deposited in the Regents
account.
E. No property so acquired shall be used for personal or non-governmental purposes.