Property & Licensing
A Police Officer and a civilian staff the Property & Licensing Unit. The main function of the P&L Unit is to receive, document, and store evidential and non-evidential property in a safe and secure environment. All property is assigned to an investigator or other officer designated as the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the case. The OIC of the case notifies P&L personnel as to the disposition of the property by either authorizing its release to the owner, or indicating that the property is to be auctioned or destroyed. Depending on the crime, some property will remain indefinitely in the custody of the P&L Unit.
Other activities of the unit include the control and tracking of impounded vehicles, taxi cab (public vehicle) licensing, licensing investigations under Title 5 of the Livonia Code of Ordinances, and periodically holding an online property and bicycle auction.
Livonia Towing has the exclusive contract for all police impounds for the City of Livonia. Vehicles subject to impoundment include disabled accident vehicles, vehicles towed incident to an arrest, vehicles causing a road hazard, private property abandoned vehicles, vehicles towed due to a declared snow or other natural emergency, and vehicles with licensing/registration violations. Vehicles are towed to their tow yard located at 12955 Levan Road, Livonia, Michigan, 48150 (734-591-0456).
Seventeen private tow companies are currently licensed to tow abandoned vehicles off of private property within the City of Livonia. In October of 2005 the State of Michigan enacted the Michigan Abandoned Vehicle Law, MCL 257.252, and established new guidelines and procedures tor towing abandoned vehicles off of private property.
Property
All recovered or confiscated firearms, not returned to their owners are turned over to the Michigan State Police for destruction. Additionally, it is the policy of the Livonia Police Department that any gun unlawfully possessed or connected to a crime will be destroyed. Each year over 150 long guns, handguns, and other various deadly weapons are destroyed. The Livonia Police Department will also accept firearms from Livonia residents who no longer want them. These firearms are also turned over to the M.S.P. for destruction after being checked in a national database to ensure that they are not stolen or wanted.
As referenced above, the P&L Unit will conduct online auctions consisting of various items such as jewelry, electronics, tools, household items, and bicycles, all of which ownership cannot be established. The Livonia Police Department utilizes Great Lakes Exchange online auction service as its online service.
Property Release
Property authorized for release to the owner by the OIC can be picked up by appointment only through P&L personnel, Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Property will only be released to the person indicated by the OIC. Contact The Property and Licensing Officer at (734) 466-2384 to make arrangements for pick-up. This individual must present valid picture identification at the time of release. Under extenuating circumstances, if the property owner is unable to pick up the property, the owner may sign a notarized letter authorizing another named individual permission to pick up the property. This person must also present valid picture identification at the time.
