OPELOUSAS (AP) — The Opelousas Police Department is seeking the rightful owners of everything from bicycles to television sets.

Sgt. Jody White tells The Daily World police often recover stolen property during their investigations but can’t always locate the owners. He said it is also not uncommon to arrest someone only to discover the suspect has items from several other burglaries. as well.

But in these cases, the suspect is not going to admit where the items came from and, if the victim didn’t file a police report, there is no way to know who the real owner is.

“It is important that people file a police report,” White said.

He said OPD is currently photographing the items and should have them posted to its website later this week.

“If you see something that was taken from you or lost, you can claim it,” White said. “We’ve got lawnmowers, Weed Eaters, bicycles, TVs, VCRs and DVDs.”

You will, of course, have to prove it’s yours. A receipt from the store where it was purchased is good. Simply knowing the serial number of your lost or stolen electronic equipment will also work.

White said the plan is to update the website with newly recovered items about every three to four months. But if the program works as well as police hope, he said the website might be updated monthly.