Lynn Police touting cash only auctions

LYNN – Looking for a good deal on clothing or electronic equipment?Try shopping at the Lynn Police Station the next time a public auction is held to snatch up valuable abandoned or unclaimed items up for bid.Currently, an odd collection of seized samurai swords, flat screen TVs and clothing are piled high inside the station, accumulated from various investigations and shoplifting arrests.While the samurai swords may not be up for sale, Lynn Police evidence officer Mark Richmond said the last auction held in June generated roughly $1,500 from an array of interesting items.Comforter sets, cookware and silverware are also stored in the evidence room, including larger scale items such as TVs, desktop computers, tools and sporting goods.One particular item, a 52-inch flat screen HDTV, has generated a lot of attention amongst officers at the station.”It was related to an investigation on a property and we’re trying to get the store that it belongs to, to pick it up, but they don’t seem to want to,” Richmond said. “There’s also a 42-inch TV too, so it’s not your typical auction.”Richmond said the cash-only bidding usually starts out at about $100 for pricey items such as the TVs and competition can quickly become feisty amongst bidders.”I’ve been the evidence officer for eight or nine years, and I’ve seen some people really get into it,” he said. “Especially over the stereo systems. We’ve never had jewelry at an auction even though we have a lot of it as evidence because we can’t tell if it’s costume or not.”Lt. William Sharpe said he heard that there is a ladies diamond ring in evidence that was reportedly thrown into the street by a jilted fiancé and later found by police.While the items inside the evidence room would surely catch your attention, Sharpe said the odor emanating inside the room from dried blood and bodily fluids caked on prisoner’s clothing would quickly push you out the door.”It really smells,” he quipped. “Let’s just say it’s a foul stench.”Aside from expensive goods, Sharpe said roughly 20 bicycles are also in storage in the rear of the police station that will either be up for auction or donated to local community groups.Richmond said the next auction will most likely be held in the spring and will be advertised in The Item for several weeks beforehand.Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) recently pushed an initiative to update the entire police auction system, which now allows police to not only hold traditional auctions, but also sell items for sale over the Internet.Under the old law, police were required to advertise the auction of abandoned property multiple times before holding an auction presided over by an officer.Lynn is in discussion to move its auctions online, which would not only save the police time, but would also reap more money for the items with a larger audience on a Web site such as eBay.Funds generated from auctions are directly deposited into the city’s general fund.