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?

I once found a brooch, handed it in and was offered the option of being able to claim it if it was not claimed by the owner within 3 months (or was it 1 month). But I said no thanks, and so it would have been given to a charity shop.

ooh, then they've shortened it LOvemylaptop cos I used to be that civilian on the desk in 1996

OP, at least your 'gizmo' won't be out of date in a month.

You should hand it in to the police if you found it in the street, or to the appropriate lost and found if in a building, on a train etc. What if it was you who had lost something? Where would you go to try and find it? If you pocket it then I am afraid I think you are not much better than a thief, and your conscience should trouble you. And if there is a way to have it back it if it isn't claimed then that surely is the best way to go. I doubt there are any websites, papers etc that are that widely enough read to be likely to attract the attention of the owner if it was found in the street, unless you have a very good local paper.

foxinsocks - you could be right.
LoveMyLapTop - no-brainer is quite rude. Maybe you told the truth about your job, maybe not. Your rudeness tells me volumes.

I'm going to repeat my question, which is how can MCM be in any doubt over what the right thing to do might be?

MCM - I don't think LMLP was being rude. She was just telling you the facts. Why would you doubt that? Unless you're feeling defensive about not giving said item back.

Way off to accuse someone else of being rude when you're considering something so immoral
/unethica.

OI - nooka - I already said my conscience troubled me and that I wanted to reunite it with its owner. I never said I wanted to "pocket" it. Why are you calling me "not much better than a thief"? You cheeky mare.

OMG - you're all at it - BIWI - what makes you think I am considering something immoral?

MCM - My feeling is that you wanted to keep this gizmo, egged on by your DH, but were (rightly) feeling uncomfortable about doing so.

I don't suppose this thread has gone the way you wanted it to - but I think we were all reacting against the idea that handing something in at the local police station meant it would get nicked. I saw that as a bit of a feeble excuse to try to keep the thing.

OK, your dh then, if you like. The fact remains you find something expensive in the street, you hand it in to the local police station. No questions asked, no need for conscience to prick. You do anything else then you are keeping something that is not your rightful property (ie pocketing it) aren't you?

BIWI - "so" immoral/unethical? I only asked how to get the "thing" back to its owner as I had been led to not trust the Police. This makes me immoral/unethical - why? It was never me who considered keeping the "thing". Look back at my posts if you have doubts.

I think your DS could teach your DH and his sis alot about honesty and integrity. He's right, of course hand it in. Seriously, the feeling you'll getthat you have done a good thing, and used the chance to set a good example to your kids, will be far better than any satisfaction you might get from using this gizmo.

This is a perfect time to show them about honesty citizenship and all that, it's part of the parental job desc IMO

Just take it to the police station. You've been told by a police officer on here that it will be safe to do so!

Yes, you should.

I spotted a woman throw a handbag into an alley. Ds and I took it to the police station. It was brand new, I could have kept it but that wouldn't give ds the right idea. It's not yours to keep. If it's an expensive item then the owner will be missing it. Imagine if it was something that belonged to you. If no one claims it then it's legally yours. I didn't feel comfortable keeping the bag as it was obviously stolen (still had the tags on it), after the month I asked for it to be donated to someone who had their handbag stolen. The police were really good about it, they said it's rare for people to hand things in thesedays. A sign of the current dog-eat-dog society.

I've been reunited with lost property via some kind soul handing it in to the police.

I've had a lovely letter from someone who was reunited with the item I found (and handed into the police), and my brother has a v, v nice watch that he handed into the police and got back when it wasn't claimed.

Never heard of lost property being "disappeared". I really don't think this can happen that much and it would take some organising to do it (such as getting a mate to fraudulently claim the item) as you will get a receipt.

Hand it in.

Especially as your child is telling you (rightly) that it would be wrong to keep it. In fact, let him hand it in.

Hand it in. Karma.

Hand it in.

When my sister was 10 her and her friend found a little money purse (the type with nowhere to keep cards or anything) with £200 in. they went straight to the local police station to hand it in. The person on the desk took their details. A few months later no one had claimed it so they got to keep the £200. It was 17 years ago though.

Quattrocento - you are so wrong. I never wanted to keep it. It would always feel wrong. If you think I would be egged on my my DH, please think again. Nooka - yes my DH wanted to keep it but I said that in my OP, didn't I? This was the conflict, also the argument of trust re the Police. That is another issue.
Leo9 - you are a wise person and you are right. You have given me what I asked for in my OP. No bitchiness, no nastiness, no jumping to conclusions - just reasoned judgement. Thank you.

There is actually a criminal offence of 'theft by finding' which is when you find something that clearly hasn't been deliberately abandoned but either lost or (for instance) dropped by a fleeing thief, and keep it for yourself instead of trying to get it back to its owner.

No but don't feed it after midnight or let it get near water

MCM, you said "It is something we would like to keep but my conscience troubles me." So naturally I assumed that you wanted to keep it but were troubled about doing so.

Now you've explained that you don't actually want to keep it, so perhaps your OP was slightly clumsily worded? Perhaps this is what confused other people on this thread?

And, IMHO, you have been quite rude to those who gave you their opinions.