Scott Tod says their new online police auction may be one of the good things that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to COVID-19, the traditional in-person auctions to sell stolen or recovered property were shut down.
Tod, North Bay's Police Chief estimates they have raised $5700 in less than a year and a half on the new online Facebook auction site.
"It forced us to look at a different way we would re-sell and auction off property that has come into our possession," Tod said about the online auction idea.
"It has either come in as property, or property not picked up by the owner, and we are lawfully allowed to dispose of that property under the Police Services Act in accordance to having an auction."
All property held by the North Bay Police Service that has been seized by the police or held as evidence cannot be released unless written authorization from the investigating police officer is on file.
Citizens may request property by phone, email, or in-person at North Bay Police headquarters on Princess Street in North Bay.
The new North Bay Police Service Auctions page on Facebook is where those items not claimed can be found to buy.
The private group which is free to join on the social media platform has 8100 members who can see and access the online auctions.
"Going through an auction through our Facebook page has been very successful and has been wonderful in the fact that we are able to timely clean out our property room of property which, in the past, we would hold two auctions a year and basically now we are holding an auction every day of the year and it really has been beneficial to the Board to be able to give them additional funds in their contingency fund to support charities that happen within our community and generously give money on behalf of the board to support other efforts in the community to make it a much better and stronger community," said Tod.
The Police Service has not confirmed whether it plans to return to in-person auctions again in the future. Either way, they know they have a new, easy-to-manage platform that will keep their store rooms empty.
