Cleveland Police Amasses over £316,909 from auctioned items

Vehicle Seizures, & Unclaimed lost items nets Cleveland Police a near £317k when sold at auction...

14th Jan 2025

A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) response has reportedly shed light on the significant revenue being generated by Cleveland Police from the sale of items at public auctions over the past five years.

From January 2019 to October 2024, the force is said to have amassed over £316,909 from auctioned items, raising questions about how these funds are then used within the Police's budget and whether the process is fair and transparent.

Breaking Down the Figures

The year-by-year breakdown provided by Cleveland Police reveals some interesting trends in their auction earnings:

• 2019: £60,210

• 2020: £59,945

• 2021: £51,542

• 2022: £26,380

• 2023: £79,854.40

• 2024 (up to October): £38,978.20

  
  

Interestingly, the data highlights a surge in money earned from auctioned items in 2023, nearly tripling the amount earned in 2022. This spike raises important questions about whether the increased revenue came from a greater volume of confiscated goods, higher-value items, or improved auction practices.

The Role of Motorcycles

The FOI response also revealed that Cleveland Police has been auctioning end-of-life motorcycles not owned by the public, generating the force additional income:

• 2021: £9,820

• 2024: £2,028.33

  
  

Whilst these sums may appear small in comparison to overall revenues, they're said to highlight the diverse range of items sold at auction.

What About Bicycles?

Surprisingly, the FOI response failed to specify how much of the total revenue made from Police Auctions came from the sale of bicycles, despite the request for such information. The omission leaves unanswered questions about the fate of confiscated or unclaimed bicycles, which are said to be the most commonly auctioned items by police forces up and down the country...

Transparency and Accountability

The sale of the goods at auction has left people questioning just how the funds from these auctions are being utilised within the polices overall budget. Are they reinvested into frontline policing? Do they support community programs? Or are they swallowed up by administrative costs?, With Cleveland Police's response providing almost no clarity on the issue, leaving a lot of room for speculation.

Moreover, the practice of auctioning seized or unclaimed items raises ethical concerns. How are items selected for auction? Are there safeguards to ensure that goods, particularly those confiscated from the public, are sold fairly and legally? And what efforts are made to reunite items with their rightful owners before they hit the auction block?

A Call for Answers

The sharp increase in auction revenues for Cleveland Police and the lack of detailed information about specific categories of items, such as bicycles, jewellery etc highlight the need for greater transparency in Cleveland Police's auction practices. The force owes it to the public to provide a full account of where this money is going and how these practices align with their stated commitment towards serving the community.

Matt Storey, Cleveland police Crime Commissioner recently put out to public consultation proposals for a potential increase to the precept charged by Teesside Tax Payers on their council tax bills, where its claimed revenues generated through the sale of police seizure auctions could perhaps sway locals into asking some pertinent questions over the operation of the forces budget & whether they could be doing more to lessen the impact on local tax payers by looking at the revenues they've already generated through their auction sales before approaching members of the public cap in hand seeking more money that many Teessiders simply dont have !