PropertyRoom.com provides an ecletic product mix that may be of interest to bargain hunters and crime victims.
The San Clemente, Calif.-based company, which is partnering with police departments nationwide to bring unclaimed stolen goods to its site, offers an online auction and retrieval system.
“In many cases, stolen merchandise remains uncollected and sits in a property room, collecting dust,” noted Tom Lane, who is president of Property Room as well as a former police officer/detective with the Long Beach New York Police Department.
“Through this site, we can take items out of the evidence rooms and bring them to everyday customers at afforable prices,” Lane said.
To ensure that crime victims get a fair break, the site dually offers StealItBack.com, a privately owned national registry of stolen goods. Private citizens are invited to register the serial numbers of any items that have been lost or reported stolen to their local police department.
“StealitBack.com will search its database, and if an item has been received from a participating department, will return the item to the police department where the theft or loss was originally reported so that it may be returned to its rightful owner free of charge,” Lane said.
Merchandise offered on the site includes bicycles, electronics, jewelry, power tools and trading cards, Lane noted. “We even have a kitchen sink. No kidding,” he said. “We plan to branch out to include automobiles, boats and other products in the near future.”
Providing a community service is a key element of the auction site. “In addition to offering downloadable checklists to assist citizens with tracking their own home inventory, we provide crime prevention tips,” said Lane.
“Further, a portion of our proceeds is donated directly to a scholarship fund that benefits the children of officers killed in the line of duty,” he said.
Daryl Gates, former Los Angeles Police Department chief of police, serves as a senior advisor to this company.