Should we hand a gizmo in to the Police?

[MannersCostNothing]

My DH found a quite high value "thing" yesterday. It is something we would like to keep but my conscience troubles me. DS says we should hand it in to the Police. DH says not to be stupid, we should keep it and tell no-one. DD14 agrees with DH. I asked a friend who is a police officer. He says - FFS - don't hand it in there - they will nick it. I personally think I would be gutted if I had lost this and I would hope someone would return it. But how?

hand it in then

Yes hand it in. It's the right thing to do.

What is it?
Is there somewhere else you could try and find the owner ( eg local website, we have one where people say when they've found stuff) rather than hand to police if you don't trust the police?

But my Police Officer friend says the person on the desk will probably "vanish" it. If this is a likelihood, I would rather not hand it in.

my bil is a cabbie, he got so fed up with returning high value items with no thanks. now he follows the cabbie's code: throw it in the thames

You know you should hand it in. Even if it does vanish at the police station at least it's on their conscience not yours.

Post an advert in a newspaper if that doesn't get results then hand it in.

Well if you keep it - it's on your conscience. If the police officers nick it (which I doubt - and you can ask for a receipt for handing it in) then it's on theirs.

It's not that easy to make stuff vanish! These days there's CCTV at the desk, you fill in forms, they keep carbon copies, etc.

I've always been really lucky with stuff I've lost being returned and I've always handed stuff in. I don't believe in karma but it certainly makes the world a slightly nicer place. If the owner doesn't bother to report it you'll end up with it guilt-free anyway.

If you hand it in ask for a receopt if no one claims it within a month then you can keep it. As long as it is not illegal or a firearm

Of course you should hand it in. No question about it.

Xpost with Thunderduck.

I hope you do the right thing ... It's heartwarming when people do the right thing.

of course you bloody should!

saying 'oh the police might nick it' is just trying to make yourself feel better for thinking about not doing it. And good on your ds!

You will feel far better once you'd handed it in.

sea, Dh has left valuable stuff in cabs and always had it returned thank goodness. And he is always v grateful!

Thunderduck - it's not a question of conscience - it's to do with what's right.
Southeastastra - I'm not sure if you're joking? Throw it in the Thames doesn't sound like you.
RunningGirl - great idea - like Freecycle or something like that? Am going to post my found item on there right now.

I agree it's what's right that matters and keeping it most certainly isn't right.

You're going to put it on Freecycle?

Without knowing what it is, it's really impossible to say what you should do with it.

am concerned at your police officer friends comment.
If colleagues of mine were nicking stuff, I would be reporting them tbh.
Police are really strict about property, you can loose your job if you dont record it properly

MCM - I don't understand how you can be in any doubt about what the right thing is in this circumstance.

foxinsocks - it was a police officer that told me that! He says they do it all the time. I just want to get it back to its owner IYKWIM

No they don't do it all the time, it will be properly recorded by a civilian on the desk and they will give you a receipt for it for you to go back in six months and claim it.

And then it will be yours legally.

Get your receipt!!!

Its one month Laurie - as per my post earlier up

Not on Freecycle as an item for offer - on Freecycle as a "found". Without saying what it is, but saying where it was found, at least there is a chance of the genuine owner coming forward.
LoveMyLapTop - do you know many Police Officers?

I am a Police Officer
Just hand it in and ask for a receipt.
Its a no-brainer

hand it in hand it in

police officer friend might have been making a throw away comment (though a stupid one)

I'm sorry, but you owe it to your children to show them that handing it in is the right thing to do.

I don't think that that many people use Freecycle.

Though if you've lost something valuable, you might think to ask the local police.

If you want to get it back to the owner, don't put it in the wrong place.