Lost your phone? Here's what happens once it's brought to the Singapore police
In 2024, the SPF received about 50,000 reports of found property, an increase from around 42,000 in 2022.
by Charmaine Jacob · CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SINGAPORE: Have you ever been contacted by the police to collect a lost item? Or perhaps found something and dropped it off at a police station? Ever wondered what happens next?
While it may seem as simple as finding the item owner's contact details, the process involves more steps than one might expect.
CNA visited the Singapore Police Force (SPF) Found and Unclaimed Property Office to uncover the behind-the-scenes operations and the technology used to speed up the process.
DROPPING OFF A LOST ITEM
Imagine spotting an iPhone 16 by the sink in a public restroom, with no owner in sight. You hold onto it for an hour or two, hoping the owner will call.
But as the day ends without any claims, you decide to drop it off at the found property dropbox at the nearest neighbourhood police centre. This option is available at all 32 neighbourhood police centres and 56 neighbourhood police posts.
Once deposited, these items are collected daily, sealed in secure bags and transported to the SPF Found and Unclaimed Property Office at Hemmant Road.
To ensure security, only authorised staff can open these bags. Additionally, vehicles used for transport are GPS-tracked and equipped with CCTV cameras.
In 2024, the SPF received about 50,000 reports of found property, an increase from 42,000 in 2022. More than half of these items were successfully traced back to their owners.
Unclaimed items that cannot be traced to an owner are either auctioned, forfeited or disposed of, in accordance with the Police Force Act 2004.
Valuables such as watches and jewellery are auctioned off, while cash is transferred to the state.
Non-valuable or unusual items – like a single shoe, which officers said was the strangest found property they received – are disposed of at an incineration plant.
SORTING THE ITEM
Once items reach the Found and Unclaimed Property Office, they undergo a sorting process.
During CNA's visit, media representatives were taken through various rooms, each showcasing a step in the workflow.
In the first room, a robotic conveyor system transports trays of found items to designated workstations. SPF explained that this system optimises handling and routing, reducing the need for manual transport and allowing officers to focus on more complex tasks.
At the workstations, AI-powered optical cameras scan, identify and categorise the items.
Since 2021, the SPF has leveraged such technology to streamline the identification process, minimising the time required for manual data entry, such as serial numbers or names embossed on cards. These details are automatically transferred into an inventory management system.
“These technological improvements have reduced manual tasks, enhanced productivity and led to the more effective management of found properties,” SPF said.
LODGING A REPORT
In the next room, serial numbers of items and descriptions that have been scanned go into the police database.
A robotic process automation bot extracts information from the inventory system and auto-populates relevant fields in the report lodging system.
The robotic process automation system has reduced report lodging time by at least 60 per cent, and has minimised human error and ensured accurate data transfer.
SPF described this as a "particularly valuable" enhancement for routine data synchronisation tasks.
TRACING THE OWNER
The next stage involved automated backend screening where the registered found property was matched against the information in other police databases. This was done by using unique identifying numbers, like the serial number of a handphone.
“Whenever there is a hit, the property is marked as matched and efforts are then made to contact the owner,” SPF said.
These items will then go into compactors in a storage room, where they are kept for 30 days from when the item was dropped off at a police centre or police post.
Lastly, owners are contacted via mail, email or text message to collect their found item, SPF said, adding that it has plans to further digitalise the process and reduce reliance on sending out hardcopy letters.
And before you know it, you're back playing Candy Crush on your phone.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app