COUNTYWIDE : Report Details Loss of County-Owned Items

More than $7,000 worth of county-owned property was reported misplaced, stolen or destroyed so far this year, according to a report released last week.

The items range from a $1,678 notebook computer believed stolen to a portable food warmer that officials can’t seem to find.

Nineteen items made the list, which is one of three rosters of lost items released during the year.

The property has a total depreciated value of $7,482, though the county paid $39,076 for the 19 items when they were purchased new.

Other items reported missing include two video display screens valued at $810 each, two portable radios and a computer keyboard.

Stolen items include several pieces of computer equipment, a radio and a gas-oxygen mask.

Determining whether a missing item is lost or stolen requires a certain amount of judgment, according to officials.

“If something is missing in a building that was broken into, it probably means it was stolen,” said Jan Grimes of the county’s auditor-controller’s office.

“If someone is looking for something that was seen recently, it’s hard to categorize that as stolen.”

Grimes said the report is designed to inform the Board of Supervisors about which items are missing.

Not all items on the list are replaced, she said.