Some of the items had been there for decades, Sheriff Deb Burchett said. Many of the items up for bid were seized from drug dealers. She had expected to raise between $5,000 to $10,000 from the sale but nearly 400 people showed up and the office earned close to $47,000.
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The sheriff’s office also had dozens of bikes, but Burchett decided not to sell them.
“The property clerks asked me about selling them at the auction and I thought, ‘Why would I want to sell those bikes when there are children right here in our community who don’t have bicycles?’” Burchett said. “If an individual has children, they want bicycles, come down.”
So deputies will give the bikes away for free. So far the sheriff’s office has given away four dozen bicycles. If you would like one, call their office at 937-521-2050.
Most of the bikes have been sitting in storage for years.
“People call and say, ‘Hey, there’s a bike that’s been thrown in my front yard. Can you come and pick it up and get it out of here?’ or bicycles have been stolen,” Burchett said.
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The bikes have accumulated over the years because the owners weren’t found or they were never claimed.
Some of the bikes have flat tires or a torn seat cover, she said, but they’re still operational and just need some care.
Her office is looking for an organization to partner with to help fix the bicycles and she said that will gladly give them away so they can be fixed and used.
“I want the bicycles to be given to children. I absolutely do not want these bicycles sold because they deserve that,” Burchett said.
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The sheriff would like for most of the bikes to go to children but knows adults might need them, too.
“If you have an elderly person that would like to have a bicycle just for the exercise, I have no problem giving them one,” Burchett said. “If you have a person that is unfortunate and can’t afford a car, I have no problem giving them a bicycle to get to work.”
Stacey Acton, a Springfield resident, is excited about the program and said the city needs something like this. She doesn’t know anyone who needs a bike right now, she said, but will pass along the information now.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Acton said. “I think it’s great for the city. I think there’s plenty of people who could use it.”
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