The Cornwall Police Service (CPS) has altered the way it will be conducting its annual police auction moving forward.

Effective June 2023, the CPS will now be using the services of Rideau Auctions, located in Winchester, ON to facilitate the auctioning of police property, including items such as bicycles, jewellery, power tools, clothing, and electronics. Instead of the property being collected, stored and auctioned off once per year, the CPS will now be submitting property meeting the criteria on an ongoing basis, to be included in the online auctions hosted by Rideau Auctions. It should be noted that items submitted by police will appear alongside other auctioned items and will be not be identifiable as having been submitted by the CPS.

The CPS had previously used the services of Theresa Taylor and Associates Auctioneering; however, due to Ms. Taylor's retirement in 2022, the Service has found the need to identify an alternative practice for auctioning property.

“Each year, we are always overwhelmed by the response from our community with their interest in the police auction,” said Danielle Lauzon, Property Management Coordinator for the Cornwall Police Service. “While we are taking a different approach, we are hopeful that the availability of these items on an ongoing basis will serve as an added benefit for members of the public, rather than having to wait for the auction to occur once per year.”

 The CPS is able to facilitate the sale of certain property in alignment with Section 132 of the Police Services Act. These items are all seized, lost or stolen items that have never been claimed. The proceeds from the auction are retained by the Cornwall Police Services Board to distribute in the interest of the public. In previous years, proceeds from the auction have been given to various local agencies, to benefit youth in our community or victims of crime.

 In 2022, the CPS raised a net proceed of $6,800.00 from the police auction, which was provided to the Cornwall Police Services Board for distribution towards the community.

 Members of the public can view upcoming auctions at https://www.rideauauctions.com/.