Found property support for police forces
CLPS helps police forces reduce the workload, storage pressure and risk created by found property, while supporting a secure and accountable process for claim review, owner verification and return.
Found property still reaches the police
Even when lost property is not a core operational focus, police forces can still end up receiving found items from members of the public, businesses, transport operators, venues, security teams and partner agencies.
Some items may be high value. Some may contain private data. Some may include identity documents, phones, wallets, keys, electronics, bags or personal items that people naturally expect the police to handle.
That creates a practical challenge: items need to be secured, recorded, stored, reviewed, claimed, verified and either returned or resolved through an agreed process.
CLPS helps reduce that burden by providing secure collection, off-site storage, CCTV processing, item registration, photography, claim review, owner verification and courier return support.
Why found property creates pressure for forces
Found property can be easy to underestimate. But every item accepted into a force creates an operational responsibility.
The same issues as distributed operators
Where police forces do provide a found property service, they face many of the same challenges as transport operators and other distributed organisations.
Items may be handed in at different stations, front counters, offices or operational locations. Records may be created by different teams. Storage may happen in more than one place. Claims may come through different channels.
That can make it harder to keep a consistent process, understand where items are held, review claims quickly and provide clear updates to the public.
CLPS helps create a more centralised and consistent process by collecting secured property from agreed locations and processing it through a controlled warehouse environment.
How CLPS supports police forces
CLPS provides a secure managed service for found property.
Your team places found items into CLPS-provided bags, boxes or containers kept securely on site. Once sealed, CLPS collects the containers and transports them to our secure warehouse.
Items are processed under CCTV, registered, photographed and stored securely for the agreed retention period. When claims are received, CLPS reviews the details, verifies ownership and supports the owner’s chosen courier delivery option.
This helps forces reduce non-core administrative workload while maintaining a clear, secure and accountable process.
Benefits for police forces
CLPS helps forces reduce the time, space and administrative pressure created by found property.
A safer process for valuable and data-bearing items
Found property is not always low value or low risk.
Forces may receive phones, laptops, tablets, wallets, passports, driving licences, keys, bags, jewellery, payment cards, documents and other items that need careful handling.
CLPS helps create a controlled process for these items, with secure collection, CCTV processing, item registration, photography, secure storage, claim review and ownership verification before release.
Clearer support for members of the public
People often contact the police when they lose something important, even when the item may have been lost elsewhere.
CLPS can help reduce the public-facing burden by supporting claim review and return processes, giving owners a clearer route to recover their property where a match is identified.
This helps reduce repeated enquiries and makes the found property process easier to manage.
Net zero found property support
CLPS operates as a net zero service and works across collection, storage, processing and return activity to reduce environmental impact.
Where applicable, CO₂ removal certificates can be provided for CLPS operations and client found property activity, helping forces support sustainability reporting and environmental accountability.