Kingston Police Service puts seized items up for auction

Kingston police headquarters in Kingston, Ont. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa)

From e-bikes to foreign currency, there’s a chance to nab a deal through the Kingston Police Service right now as they put dozens of unclaimed seized items up for an online auction.

There are a range of items, including power tools, video games, as well as an e-bike.

Interested buyers make a bid on the website, which is a government surplus auction site, and once the auction closes the highest bid wins.

“You can find some really unique items,” said Const. Anthony Colangeli, the Kingston Police Media Relations officer.

By midday on Monday, the e-bike had more than two dozen bids and had reached more than $350. Meanwhile an online search for similar new e-bikes ran in the thousands.

Colangeli says items get put up for auction if they can’t find the owner after 90 days.

“We get a fair amount of things either seized in an investigation, whether that’s like a search warrant at a house or if we located an abandoned car full of property… But we don’t know who that property belongs to,” he said.

“We do the best we can to try and return that stuff to the owner. And there is a process in place for that, but when we can’t and that often goes to auction.”

But it is buyer beware. The site says the items you are bidding on are bought as-is. For example, the e-bike’s working condition is listed as “unknown.”

St. Lawrence College student Liam Cote says some of the items are interesting

“Some lawn equipment, all kinds of things,” he said while scrolling the website. “Some jewelry, things that, yeah, some cool money here.”

There are several bicycles up for auction, with bidding starting as low as $5. Cote says it’s a good idea for someone who could use a deal.

“It’s really great to see these things, especially around Christmas time,” he said.

Colageli says the auction used to be in-person but is now done online because it allows it to take place more often.

The money collected is then used to help fund Kingston Police community volunteers.

“Kingston police community volunteers are kind of our auxiliary or volunteer police officers who help with road closures during community events. They do pumpkin patrol. During the Christmas season, they do the lock it or lose it campaign. You’ll often see them at the Santa Claus parade,” he said.

“They don’t go on calls, but they’re just like an extra set of eyes. So, they need uniforms and vehicles and resources. So, this is a way that kind of helps fund, fund them.”

Colangeli says auction winners must be able to pick up their items in person and on a certain date.

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