The long standing practice of bidding for found or seized items from Chatham-Kent police is going online.
Chief designate Gary Conn says live auctions are expensive to hold and the savings can be put back into other operations.
"We require a supervisor, quarter master, auxiliary officers, special constables, set up, movement of the property, all of those things cost," he says. "There's a significant savings. Per year, we are looking at around $4,000."
Police Auctions Canada, the Toronto company that will be auctioning the items, charges a 50% commission but Conn says even at that level, the returns to the police service will be higher than now.