file photo Mike Wakefield, North Shore News
The mystery behind three envelopes of cash that were turned in to Coquitlam RCMP during the holiday season last year has only been partially solved.
Only one person who contacted police was able to prove ownership and retrieved their cash while the owners of the other two envelopes were never found, according to Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.
In the second case, the person who found the cash eventually claimed it when the owner wasn’t identified and the third envelope’s owner has also never been identified and the file is still open.
“The money was turned into a security company, who turned it over to police, so if the owner is never identified, the money will likely go into general revenue for the city,” McLaughlin said in an email to The Tri-City News.
Police aren’t revealing the amount of cash in each envelope but the total was approximately $7,000, meaning a few people lost their Christmas money.
McLaughlin said the honesty of those who turned in the envelopes reflects well on the Tri-Cities.
“These files illustrate the sense of community in the Tri-Cities. It's really impressive that ordinary citizens are so unselfish that they can turn in an envelope full of money to the police," he said, adding, "I can also tell you the owner who recently got her cash back was incredibly happy and surprised."
You should avoid carrying large amounts of cash, police say, and when you need to, you should ensure it is secured inside a bag or zippered pocket without any holes.
Police also recommend carrying smaller amounts of cash in a purse or wallet for your everyday transactions and keeping that cash separate from larger sums of money.
If you discover you have lost cash, call your local police and be prepared to give the following:
• details including amount, denominations and the type of currency;
• the exact time and place you noticed the money was missing;
• any identifying marks on the envelope;
• a description of yourself;
• and your name and contact information.
