Lost keys: Will the Police trace Key Owner from the reg?

[BikeBikeBIke]

I found some Keys with a tag with (I assume) the reg number of the car on the key ring. (The reg on the DVLA site matches the key make.)

If I take them to a Police station will they look up the owner and call them to collect their keys?

If not they're probably better off left where they are.

TIA

[LosingGrip]

Most police stations don't take found property anymore.

Worth putting a post on local Facebook groups.

[Bigends]

May be worth a try ....may get someone helpful on the front desk
.

[GasEngineer]

LosingGrip said:

Most police stations don't take found property anymore.

Interesting. What do they suggest you do with it?

Isn't there an offence of "stealing by finding" anymore?

[ssray]

GasEngineer said:

Interesting. What do they suggest you do with it?

Isn't there an offence of "stealing by finding" anymore?

Ref number and dispose of after 30 days

[soad]

Request details from the DVLA? Will cost a few quod, not sure how quick they’re to respond though.

So called police are a joke these days, wouldn’t bother.

[Granadier]

LosingGrip said:

Most police stations don't take found property anymore.

Worth putting a post on local Facebook groups.

I'm surprised to learn this! Funnily enough, the other day my wife showed me a Tiktok video where someone said they had found a phone and was hoping to find the owner... and my first response was "why on earth haven't they taken it to the police station, which everyone knows you're supposed to do when you find something valuable?". Turns out I'm the one who's out of step with current thinking!

[BikeBikeBIke]

LosingGrip said:

Most police stations don't take found property anymore.

Worth putting a post on local Facebook groups.

Google suggests the Police will take 'identifiable' stuff, but it's far from clear.

I've done all the local FB groups and I'm confident that if the owners do some research they will find their keys. However if someone who knows can confirm the rozzers will phone the keeper that would be better. I'm just reluctant to take it to the police if all they'd do is put them in a box becaise I think the keys are more likely to be located where they are.

(Wish I'd turned a blind eye.)

[LosingGrip]

GasEngineer said:

Interesting. What do they suggest you do with it?

Isn't there an offence of "stealing by finding" anymore?

It's been a while since I dealt with lost property apart from bank cards (which we do take).

Theft by finding. But make reasonable steps to locate the owner and no offences committed. Reasonable steps will be different for each thing.

[Slow.Patrol]

GasEngineer said:

Interesting. What do they suggest you do with it?

Isn't there an offence of "stealing by finding" anymore?

I had a push bike dumped in my front garden.

Police were not interested (it wasn't an expensive model), just said put it on social media.

I put it on Facebook, no response. Gave it to my brother in law and he sold it for £30

[Drawweight]

That's assuming you can find an open police station.

[richhead]

Granadier said:

I'm surprised to learn this! Funnily enough, the other day my wife showed me a Tiktok video where someone said they had found a phone and was hoping to find the owner... and my first response was "why on earth haven't they taken it to the police station, which everyone knows you're supposed to do when you find something valuable?". Turns out I'm the one who's out of step with current thinking!

my nearest police station is 20miles away, so im not doing that.

[carl_w]

BikeBikeBIke said:

I found some Keys with a tag with (I assume) the reg number of the car on the key ring. (The reg on the DVLA site matches the key make.)

If I take them to a Police station will they look up the owner and call them to collect their keys?

If not they're probably better off left where they are.

TIA

If it's a reasonably new car, maybe drop them to the nearest dealer?

Pretty sure I used to have a key fob that said "drop into any postbox" and it would find its way to the dealer.

[BikeBikeBIke]

carl_w said:

If it's a reasonably new car, maybe drop them to the nearest dealer?

Pretty sure I used to have a key fob that said "drop into any postbox" and it would find its way to the dealer.

That's not a bad idea. It's 5yrs old so has likely been in the dealer network in the last few years so entirely possible they have details of a recent owner, hopefully the current one.

Best of all it makes it their problem.

There's a dealer 2km from my front door and only a tiny detour for the police station. I think I'll do a loop and if the Police aren't interested drop it in the dealer. Or vice versa.

Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Monday 31st March 20:34

[The Gauge]

soad said:

So called police are a joke these days, wouldn’t bother.

But do you really want police to be spending time booking in things like found umbrellas, empty purses etc, because that's the majority of stuff that people hand in. Just because they used to do it, doesn't mean they still should, just as they used to stand at junctions directing traffic etc. Time to get with the times

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 31st March 23:15

[Steve57]

Try reporting it via online chat with the police. Depending on who you get but have known essex to contact a current owner.

[Greendubber]

If someone handed me those keys I'd happily take them off them and try and sort it out. Police have numerous systems that could be used to check against the reg (local intel systems) to try and track someone down. Failing that, book them into detained property under found property and dispose if no one comes looking for them.

I've been handed quite a bit of random stuff that I've managed to get back to people, it just takes a bit of time but that's lacking these days.

OP - with a reg on them I'd say it well worth taking them to the station (if you can find one that still has an enquiry desk)

It's always a faff but if they were my keys I'd really appreciate someone's time and effort to get them back to me.

[BikeBikeBIke]

Greendubber said:

If someone handed me those keys I'd happily take them off them and try and sort it out. Police have numerous systems that could be used to check against the reg (local intel systems) to try and track someone down. Failing that, book them into detained property under found property and dispose if no one comes looking for them.

I've been handed quite a bit of random stuff that I've managed to get back to people, it just takes a bit of time but that's lacking these days.

OP - with a reg on them I'd say it well worth taking them to the station (if you can find one that still has an enquiry desk)

It's always a faff but if they were my keys I'd really appreciate someone's time and effort to get them back to me.

Thanks, that's the answer I was looking for. Open 9-5 which I can't make but here may be a letter box and I can pop them under a wiper blade or some such.

Seems a shame if something with a unique identifier can't find its way home.

[CHLEMCBC]

BikeBikeBIke said:

I found some Keys with a tag with (I assume) the reg number of the car on the key ring. (The reg on the DVLA site matches the key make.)

If I take them to a Police station will they look up the owner and call them to collect their keys?

If not they're probably better off left where they are.

TIA

How will they call them? Have you given the DVLA your phone number?

[CHLEMCBC]

The Gauge said:

soad said:

So called police are a joke these days, wouldn’t bother.

But do you really want police to be spending time booking in things like found umbrellas, empty purses etc, because that's the majority of stuff that people hand in. Just because they used to do it, doesn't mean they still should, just as they used to stand at junctions directing traffic etc. Time to get with the times

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 31st March 23:15

Don't be silly. Far easier to pile on than engage brain!

Edited by CHLEMCBC on Tuesday 1st April 14:00