Found an item? Your responsibilities

What to do when you find someone else's property — your responsibilities and how to return it safely.

Found something in New Haven? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
Don't assume it's yours to keep. Keeping found property without trying to return it can have legal consequences. When in doubt, hand it in.
Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for New Haven; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for New Haven with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for New Haven

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in New Haven

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Found a train near Union Station in New Haven

I found this today after leaving Union Station in New Haven around 4:15 p.m. I spotted a small metal toy train lying on the curb near the entrance and picked it up. It’s a blue-and-silver model with a tiny chimney and a short coal car, clearly not mine, so I left it by the information desk near the gate. It looked like something a kid would hug onto during a trip, and I can imagine the relief of the owner realizing it’s found. If this train is yours, I hope my find helps bring back a little spark of your day.

near Union Station and the New Haven Green 4 days ago

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Found: Lamps in New Haven

This morning around 10:30 AM, while I was walking near the New Haven Green at the corner of Temple Street and College Street, I found a set of Lamps left on a bench. The glass shades were dusty from a light rain, and one cord was wrapped with a rubber band, clearly used recently. There wasn’t anyone nearby who looked anxious or searching, so I carried them to a safe spot at a nearby storefront and kept an eye out for anyone who might return. I know how stressful it is to misplace something like this, and I hope this helps.

near New Haven Green, Temple/College Sts 12 days ago

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Found handheld gaming console near Yale Bookstore

Friday at around 2:45 p.m., I found a handheld gaming console and a charger lying under a bench outside the Yale Bookstore on Chapel Street, not far from the New Haven Green. The device had a few scratches and a screen protector, but the battery still held a charge when I turned it over. I picked it up, checked the nearby benches, and then brought it to campus security hoping the owner would claim it through the site. It felt good to reconnect someone with a lost treasure, and I’m glad no one walked away without a chance to recover it.

Chapel Street near Yale Bookstore, by New Haven Green 2 months ago

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Found postcards near Yale, New Haven Green.

Found these postcards this afternoon on the New Haven Green, around 3:18 p.m., tucked between a bench and a lamppost near the carousel. They tell a quiet story—seaside towns, a lighthouse, and handwriting that looks like someone’s memory journal. The backs are faded and the corners are creased from rain, but the colors still catch the light when I tilt them. I kept them dry in my tote and hoped the rightful owner would see this post and recognize a place or a date. These cards clearly meant a lot to someone, and it would mean a lot to me to see them back with the owner.

New Haven Green, near the carousel 3 months ago

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Found Holiday Decorations in New Haven, CT.

I was walking past the New Haven Green in New Haven, Connecticut around 10:10 AM on a Saturday when I spotted a tangle of decorations lying by the Elm Street sidewalk. A box containing a garland, a string of warm white lights, and a wreath with red berries had clearly been left behind by someone else’s celebration. I brought them home and cleaned them up, hoping the owner would recognize them when they read this post. They look like they’ve been cared for in the past, so it’s likely they belong to a family getting ready for a holiday. If the owner is out there, I’d be glad to reunite them, and I’ll hold onto the items safely until we can connect.

Near the New Haven Green, Elm St & Church St 3 months ago

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Gray Anker power bank with blue USB-C cable

Found a gray Anker power bank with a blue USB-C cable attached this afternoon around 4pm on College Street in front of the Yale Bookstore. The device is about the size of a small paperback, matte gray with a slightly scuffed corner near the logo. It has a tiny red paw-print sticker on the back and a short blue cable looping through the USB port. It powered on when I pressed the power button, so it seems to be in decent shape. If it's yours, describe the sticker and the last thing you saved on this device, and I’ll happily return it to you.

New Haven 4 months ago