(a) There shall be an office of the Metropolitan Police District known as the Office of the Property Clerk. The Property Clerk shall be a member of the Metropolitan Police force. The staff shall consist of civilians who are not members of the Metropolitan Police force, except that police officers may provide security for lost, stolen, or abandoned property held by the office.
(b) For purposes of §§ 5-119.02 through 5-119.10 and §§ 5-119.12 through 5-119.18:
(1) The term “lost property” means any personal property, tangible or intangible, except a motor vehicle, the owner of which is unknown and which has been casually or involuntarily parted with through negligence, carelessness, or inadvertence.
(2) The term “finder of lost property” means any person other than a public officer of the Metropolitan Police Department who has found lost property.
(R.S., D.C., § 408; Dec. 5, 1919, 41 Stat. 363, ch. 1, § 1; Mar. 5, 1981, D.C. Law 3-160, § 201, 27 DCR 5150; Sept. 9, 1989, D.C. Law 8-24, § 6(a), 36 DCR 4575; May 4, 1990, D.C. Law 8-118, § 2, 37 DCR 1736.)
1981 Ed., § 4-152.
1973 Ed., § 4-151.
This section is referenced in § 5-119.19.
Public or government held property, see § 41-112.
Delegation of authority under D.C. Law 8-24, the “D.C. Abandoned and Junk Vehicle Removal Amend. Act of 1989”, see Mayor’s Order 90-11, January 23, 1990.
Structure District of Columbia Code
Title 5 - Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences
Chapter 1 - Metropolitan Police
§ 5–119.01. Property Clerk office created; definitions
§ 5–119.02. Lost, stolen or abandoned property — Custody
§ 5–119.03. Registration record
§ 5–119.04. Powers of notaries public
§ 5–119.05. Administration of oaths; certification of depositions
§ 5–119.07. Acquittal of accused
§ 5–119.08. Ownership claim by other than person arrested
§ 5–119.09. Property transmitted; deceased and incompetent persons; storage; fees; sale
§ 5–119.11. Immunity from damages to property; exception; “gross negligence” defined
§ 5–119.12. Sale of unclaimed animals
§ 5–119.13. Sale of perishable property
§ 5–119.14. Property delivered to owner preceding trial — Generally
§ 5–119.15. Property delivered to owner preceding trial — Perishable property
§ 5–119.16. Property delivered to owner preceding trial — Large quantities of goods held for sale
§ 5–119.17. Use of property as evidence