property & evidence

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The mission of the Property and Evidence Unit is to maintain the integrity of all evidence collected by the Anchorage Police Department and to maintain chain of custody records for all property from the time of submission until final disposition.

The unit takes in approximately 45,000 pieces of property a year and stores over 200,000 pieces of property to include evidence, safekeeping, and found property. Property can be stored for as little as 10 days up to 50 years or longer depending on the severity of crime, municipal code, state statues, and other legal requirements. the unit works collaboratively with a number of other agencies including ATF, FBI, DEA, AFD, US Attorney’s office, local District Attorneys, municipal prosecutors and many other local and federal law enforcement agencies.

    • As of February 2022, there are 223,000 pieces of property and evidence on hand.

    • Staff fielded 7,900 phone calls in 2021

    • They recovered $27,000 in city fees and fines

    • Returned 2,300 items to rightful owners

+ How do I claim my property?

Property is released by appointment only. Call the Evidence Unit at 786-8660 and choose option 1 to determine if your property is eligible for release. If your property is eligible for release, you can schedule an appointment to claim your property. You will need a valid, government issued I.D. to claim your property at the time of your appointment.

+ Why do I need an appointment?

APD Evidence is responsible for storing and maintaining all property and evidence (except vehicles) collected by the Anchorage Police Department. Due to the substantial amount of inventory, property is kept at multiple off site locations throughout the Municipality and not available at the Elmore location. Additionally, not all property and evidence is eligible for release and that must be researched and determined before an appointment can be scheduled.

+ How do I claim my property if I am unable to appear in person?

Some property can be mailed at the owner’s expense. Additionally, you can have a third party claim property on your behalf with a notarized letter or power of attorney.

+ Does APD auction unclaimed property?

APD does not hold auctions. We contract with local auctioneers on a consignment basis in accordance with Municipal code. The contracted vendors auction off items multiple times a year. Auction dates and times are set by the contracted vendor and can be found on their websites.

This web site reflects copies of the official Notice of Disposable Property which are Posted and available for viewing at the Anchorage Police Department 4501 Elmore Road and the Municipal Clerks Office, suite 250, City Hall, 632 West 6th Avenue. 

Disposable Property is not available for public viewing. If an item of disposable property appearing on the list may belong to you, then contact the Anchorage Police Department Evidence Section for further instructions on how to file a claim.

References to any Municipal Code of Ordinance within the text are for convenience and may not reflect the specific wording or the entire code section or chapter as it appears in the official Anchorage Municipal Code of Ordinances. Users are urged to view the entire official Anchorage Municipal Code of Ordinances.

Owners and any Finders are required to comply with the response and claim requirements established in the Anchorage Municipal Code of Ordinances Title 7.25. relating to Disposable Property in the possession of the Anchorage Police Department before permanently and irrevocably losing all rights, titles, interests, and loss of any property disposed of in accordance with the provisions contained within this chapter.

Municipality of Anchorage website disclaimer:

The information contained herein was current as of the date this website/home page was established.  Changes or modifications may have occurred since that date. The user is urged to contact the Evidence Section of the Anchorage Police Department to confirm the accuracy of this information. The Municipality does not warrant the accuracy of any information supplied to the user through this website/homepage by third parties. Nothing contained in or available through this website/home page should be considered an endorsement of or recommendation by the Municipality of Anchorage for any commercial enterprise listed. In all cases, any information or material provided is governed by the provisions of the Anchorage Municipal Code which shall control in the event of any inconsistency.