Sheriff’s office seeks commission approval to reallocate unclaimed evidence funds for public use

The sheriff’s office asked the Weber County Commission on Oct. 20 to authorize transferring abandoned or unclaimed currency and proceeds held in evidence to a public-purpose fund.

“Currently on the books, we have $5,000 and some change of unclaimed, abandoned money,” the presenter said, adding the evidence room also holds about $21,000 in proceeds from gun sales under a now-expired contract. The presenter said the total discussed was currency and proceeds the department could not tie to a claimant.

Staff cited state law as the authority for transferring unclaimed evidence funds to a public purpose; in the work session the speaker referred to the statute as “77 11 d 1 0 5.” The sheriff’s office recommended commissioners could identify a special charity or cause, or otherwise leave the decision to the sheriff or county attorney if commissioners did not designate a recipient.

Commissioners recalled past practice in which similar unclaimed funds were used to acquire a department K-9. Several commissioners suggested placing the funds in a restricted or reserve account until a use is identified and drafting a resolution that specifies the intended public purpose.

Staff said they will prepare the item for next week’s agenda and suggested it could be placed on the consent agenda if commissioners agree. No formal vote was taken during the work session; staff said they would prepare a resolution and documentation for a future meeting.

Direct quotes in this article come from the sheriff’s presenter and comments recorded in the Oct. 20 work session transcript.