The honesty policy: What happens when lost cash is handed in to police?

Police say there are many honest people who hand in cash, in sums of $5 upwards. Photo / NZME

What if no one claims it?

It’s a question that might cross the mind of anyone who finds cash and opts to hand it in to a police station.

Earlier this week, a couple found $70,000 cash in an electronically locked bank bag on the side of a Hawke’s Bay road.

Police applauded their actions after the couple swiftly reported the lost cash and handed it in.

The bulging bag of money was then returned to its owner.

But what happens when no one claims lost cash?

Police say there are many honest people who hand in lost cash, in sums of $5 upwards.

After roughly one month, if that cash is unclaimed, it will be offered back to the finder, according to a police spokesperson.

“If there is no immediate indication who the money belongs to, any cash over $50 that is handed in to a police station or to an officer is deposited as soon as practicable.

“Once all lines of inquiry to determine and locate the owner have been exhausted, it is considered unclaimed.

“The target timeframe for these inquiries is one month.”

Police will then arrange for the money to be returned to the finder.

A Hawke’s Bay police staff member said there were “an awful lot of honest people who bring cash in” from $5 upwards.

“I always contact the finder and get their bank details to pay them the money, if they state at the time they bring it in that they want to claim it - and most people do.”

If a finder does not want the cash, for whatever reason, it will be transferred to the Crown bank account under section 42 of the Policing Act 2008.

What has been the highest sum handed in to police?

Until this week, the last big sums of cash to be handed in to police were $3500 in Whangārei in 2010 and $5000 worth of foreign cash in Timaru in 2015.

Unfortunately, police said they did not keep records of the biggest sums ever handed in.

However, a police staff member said that, in 40 years of policing, he had never heard of a sum anywhere near the $70,000 handed in this week.

In 2014, a woman reported losing $22,500 in cash in Masterton. It was not handed in and a public appeal was made to find it.

Police would not reveal the largest sum handed in but never claimed.