The Associated Press
LEONI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser recently fetched $7,100 on eBay, marking this small-town police chief’s triumphant foray into the Internet auction world.
“It worked out great,” said Tom Bertram, whose department seized the vehicle a few months ago in a drug arrest and sold it online last week.
The deal is one of an increasing number being made at online auction sites by law enforcement agencies seeking to recoup as much as possible for seized assets. The Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team, which helped authorities in Jackson County’s Leoni Township with the PT Cruiser deal, has been putting forfeited goods on eBay for a couple of years. A Cadillac Fleetwood it put up for sale last week was up to a $2,025 by Friday; the auction ends Tuesday.
Police say Internet auctions, though they can be labor-intensive and aren’t appropriate for every item, can save police the time and money of holding public auctions and reach a bigger audience.
“The more stuff you have, the more difficult it is to keep track of it,” Mike Jester, deputy director of the Blackman Township Public Safety Department, told The Jackson Citizen Patriot. "(eBay’s) been a lot more convenient for us.”
In addition to vehicles, agencies have unloaded high-ticket items like cameras, computers, stereos and DVD players. The Jackson task force recently sold a GS30 John Deere walk-behind lawn mower for $900.
With a worldwide audience, agencies believe their items also are garnering higher bids. Used patrol cars with 120,000 miles on them can bring $3,000 to $4,000, Jester said.
Proceeds go to a drug-forfeiture fund, used to pay for task force and anti-drug operations. Employees and officers are prohibited from bidding in the auctions.
“Everybody still gets a fair chance,” Jester said. “It still goes to the highest bidder. “It’s truly a public auction. You’re just expanding the number of people who can bid.”