Authorizing the Philadelphia Police Department to donate all bicycles recovered by the Department from the streets of Philadelphia, and unclaimed by their owners after ninety days, to the Police Athletic League (PAL) on an annual basis, so that this charitable organization may identify and distribute said bicycles to disadvantaged children throughout the City of Philadelphia during the annual holiday season.

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department regularly recovers and safeguards bicycles found unattended on the streets, highways, parks and other public areas throughout the City with the intent to return them to their rightful owners. Nonetheless, a significant number of these bicycles remain unclaimed and in the possession of the Department for a period in excess of ninety (90) days; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania law presumes these bicycles to be abandoned and unclaimed (

see

72 P.S. §1301.9) and provides that such property shall become subject to the custody and control of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (

see

72 P.S. §1301.2); and

WHEREAS, Upon the written refusal by the Pennsylvania State Treasurer to accept such unclaimed property, state law provides that the governing body of the municipality in possession of these bicycles may, by resolution, provide for donation of these bicycles to a charitable organization; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department is desirous to establish a regular and consistent mechanism to dispose of these unclaimed bicycles in an efficient manner that would also contemporaneously improve the lives of disadvantaged children throughout the City; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,

That the Philadelphia Police Department shall, by the first day of December each year, submit a request to the Pennsylvania State Treasurer identifying all unclaimed bicycles in the possession of the Department which have been held for ninety (90) days or longer, and requesting written refusal by the State Treasurer to accept said property. Upon the written refusal by the State Treasurer, said property shall be transferred to the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation, to be distributed to disadvantaged children throughout the City of Philadelphia.

End