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| Phone | 503-557-5840 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
The Property and Evidence Unit provides safe storage for all items seized by Clackamas County deputies. This unit currently stores over 80,000 items of evidence, found property and property identified as "safe keeping."
Storage and Retrieval Facts
Evidence: Wait 30 days after adjudication of your case to contact the Property/Evidence unit for release information. If your name and your correct address is given to the officer at the time the receipt is given to you, you should receive a letter from the Property/Evidence Unit notifying you to make an appointment to retrieve your property.
Safekeeping: Items will be held for 60 days for pick-up by the owner. After 60 days, the items will be destroyed.
Weapons: Prior to any weapons being released, a background check will be performed to ascertain your eligibility to receive these weapons.
Property is released by appointment only. You must call the Property/Evidence unit at 503-557-5840 to request an appointment. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Property Not Returned to Owner is Auctioned Online
Sadly, some property stored in our evidence facility can never be returned to its owner. This property was found or recovered with no owner identification, and ultimately will be destroyed or auctioned.
Property/Evidence uses PropertyRoom.com for unclaimed property.
Marking Your Belongings to Reduce Loss
The best way to inscribe your property is by etching your state abbreviation and driver's license or identification number on your property. (For example: OR5555555DL or OR5555555ID). Property marked in this manner is easier to return to owners, and is more difficult to alter.
It is important to always document serial numbers and inscribe owner identification on items of value. In the unfortunate case you are the victim of lost or stolen property, your chances of recovery are greatly increased with this information.
Staff Preserve the Chain of Evidence
Three civilian Property/Evidence Specialists and one Supervisor are responsible for the receiving, preservation, release, and in some cases the destruction of all items in their care.
The property/evidence specialists are trained in storage techniques to ensure that the integrity of evidence is maintained. Detailed records of transactions involving items of evidence are maintained in order to preserve the "chain of evidence."
A computerized inventory and bar-coding system is employed to maintain the detailed records necessary for the presentation of evidence in court.
Found property
ORS 98.005 provides: (1), if any person finds money or goods valued at $250 or more, and if the owner of the money or goods is unknown, such person within 10 days after the date of the finding, shall give notice of the finding in writing to the County Recorder in the Tax Department in which the money or goods was found. Within 20 days after the date of the finding, the finder of the money or goods shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county a notice of the finding once each week for two consecutive weeks. Each such notice shall state the general description of the money or goods found, the name and address of the finder and final date before which such goods may be claimed.
(2) If no person appears and establishes his ownership of the money or goods prior to the expiration of the three months from the date of the notice of the county recorder under subsection 1 above, the finder shall be the owner of the money or goods.
(3) The finder must give written notice to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Property/Evidence Unit, within 10 days of the finding that the finder claims the property if an owner is not located.
ORS 98.025 Rights of the owner. If an owner of money or goods found by another person appears and establishes his claim to such money or goods within the time described by ORS 98.005 or 98.015, whichever applies, he shall have restitution of such money or goods or their value upon payment of all costs and charges incurred in the finding, giving of notice, care and custody of such money or goods.
