Frequently Asked Questions

How do I deal with lost, found, stolen or seized property?

How do I report lost or stolen property?

Call our non-emergency reporting line at 604-945-1550 and provide as much information as you can about your property including the date, time and location that you last had it in your possession and any serial numbers or other identifying information you have on record. You will be given a police file number that our exhibit team can use to track your property if it is found and that you can use to call in and check on whether your property has been found.

Please note: We do not take reports of lost or stolen property online or by email.

How do I find out if my lost or stolen property has been recovered by or turned in to police?

The Coquitlam RCMP exhibits team deals with all property that is found, turned in, seized or recovered during the course of an investigation.

To find out if your lost or stolen property is with us, call the non-emergency reporting line at 604-945-1550 and ask to be transferred to the exhibits desk for an "item search".

Special information about lost or stolen bicycles: If your lost or stolen property is a bike, you should know that the Coquitlam RCMP does not store recovered bicycles unless an owner has been identified. We recommend recording your bicycle's serial number and taking the time to engrave your driver's license number on the frame and any valuable components. For information about getting access to an engraver, contact your local community police station (CPS).Click here to access CPS contact information on our Contacts page.
More on bike theft prevention.

If I turn found property in to police but it isn't claimed by the owner, can I get it back?

In most circumstances you can. When you turn in the property, ask how long it will be held for. At the end of that time period it is up to you to get in touch with us and claim the property.

However, if the property you turned in is one of the following, it will be disposed of or auctioned off and you won't be able to get it back.

My vehicle was impounded, how do I get it back?

How long you have to wait to pick up your vehicle and how much it will cost to get it out of impound will depend on the reason it was impounded. In some cases the car can be picked up immediately, in other cases the vehicle may be held for up to 30 days.

To find out where your vehicle is, how long it will be impounded for and the costs associated with retrieving it, please call our non-emergency reporting line at 604-945-1550 and ask to speak to the watch commander on duty.

My vehicle was stolen how do I find out if it has been recovered?

If your stolen vehicle has been found, you will be notified and provided with all the information you need to arrange pick-up.  Recovered vehicles are sometimes held to be processed by forensic investigators. If this is the case, you will be given a timeline for your vehicle's release.

If the vehicle is not being processed or when a processed vehicle is ready to be released, it will be towed to the tow company lot nearest where it was recovered or nearest to our main detachment building. It's then the registered owner’s responsibility to call their insurance agency or the towing company to arrange for pick-up of the vehicle.

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