AL HB464

Escambia County Sheriff must maintain permanent records of all abandoned and stolen personal property recovered, including description, recovery date, serial numbers, and recovery location, with records open to public inspection.

Perishable property may be sold immediately without notice after reasonable attempts to locate the owner, with proceeds held for 6 months for the owner less recovery and storage costs; unclaimed proceeds go to the sheriff's office.

Sheriff may sell abandoned or stolen firearms only to federally licensed gun dealers through sealed bid auction after 6-month unclaimed period, or may destroy firearms; proceeds support the sheriff's office after expenses.

Non-firearm abandoned or stolen property unclaimed for 6 months may be sold at public or internet auction to the highest bidder with notice published in a newspaper once weekly for 2 weeks or posted at courthouse for 20 days.

Auction proceeds, after deducting all recovery, storage, maintenance, and sale expenses, are deposited into a sheriff's fund in an Escambia County bank and used exclusively for law enforcement purposes at the sheriff's discretion.