Polk County Sheriff's Department Staff

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Polk County Sheriff's Department: Staff

Return/Release of Property

If the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is holding property belonging to you or taken from you, contact one of the property custodians PRIOR to coming to the Sheriff’s Office to pick the property up. This is to make sure that one of the property custodians are available and that requirements are met for release of the property. If you don’t call, you may not be able to get the property back without a return trip. Some property may not be able to be released. This includes contraband, illegal weapons, some property used in crimes, etc.

You must have a state issued or other official photo ID and meet at least one of the following condition(s).

Evidence: Property taken as evidence will be released upon receipt of a release directing the release of property by the District Attorney’s Office or upon written court order directing the release the property. In limited cases, property may be released if the Deputy that took custody of the property advised the property custodian that it can be released.

Recovered Property: Property reported stolen in another jurisdiction may be released to the owner upon receipt of a release from the jurisdiction listing the property as stolen. If someone is charged with a crime in Polk County the property may be held until a release is received from the District Attorney’s Office or upon receipt of a written court order directing the property’s release.

Emergency Detention/Chapter 51 (Mental Health Commitment): Property taken as a result of a Chapter 51 Commitment or of a Court Ordered Commitment will be released upon receipt of a signed release from Polk County Corporation Counsel or written court order directing the release of the property.

Found Property: Property that is found and turned into the Polk County Sheriff’s department will be released upon reasonable proof of ownership. This property may be disposed of after 60 days if not claimed.

Firearms: WI Statute 968.20(1m)(b) prohibits the return of dangerous weapons (Firearms) or ammunition if a crime was committed using that dangerous weapon or ammunition. If the rightful owner of that firearm had no prior knowledge of and gave no consent to the commission of the crime, the owner may make a request to the District Attorney's office to have the property released.

Firearms not used in the commission of a crime, or if they are deemed eligible to be released to a rightful owner, may be returned upon receipt of a release. Those releases should come from the District Attorney’s office if held for a criminal matter, or the Corporation Counsel’s Office if related to mental health issue. Firearms may also be released upon written court order directing that the firearm be released.

Firearms being held as part of a domestic abuse injunction will be released upon receipt of a written order from a Circuit Court Judge or Circuit Court Commissioner which directs the release of the weapon per s. 813.12(4m)(b)(1) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Property Custodians

Investigator Roger Olson rogero@co.polk.wi.us 715-485-8366
Investigator Lisa Ditlefsen lisad@co.polk.wi.us 715-485-8362