For lost property, you can walk into any NYPD precinct to make a report. If you know for sure that nobody took your stuff, or you didn’t feel any jostling, you most likely going to make a report for lost property. Some tips for lost properties:
- If you lost any debit/ credit cards, freeze them so if it falls on bad hands, they will not be able to use it. If no charges were made, you are going to make a lost property report. If charges were made or attempted to make, then you have to make a report for stolen property.
- If you lost the USA passport, you can just make the report. However, if you lost a foreign passport, you need to go to your consulate to get a sealed letter that will state that you are the citizen of that particular country. Do not open the sealed letter. You bring the sealed envelope straight to the precinct and hand it to the officer.
- If you lost a cell phone or any electronic device, try your best to get the IMEI number or serial numbers. If not that’s ok, you can still report it. However, if are able to track it and the phone keeps moving from one location to other, you have to make a stolen report because most likely someone took it. At this point, it’s no more a lost property.
- If you lost a NYS driver license or ID, or plate(s), the officer will give you a DMV receipt which you can use to get a free replacement. This receipt is separate from incident slip. Once the report is made and the Officer gives you the DMV receipt, take the other plate (if one plate is lost or stolen) to DMV with receipt and surrender it. Then, get new plates.