Quote Originally Posted by TFOGGER View Post
The only issue I've ever had with a knife regarding LE contact was when I was riding as a passenger in a car, and we got pulled over. Driver was arrested on a warrant (bogus, as it turned out), and I was detained while they checked me and the car out. Officer from Golden PD asks if I have any "weapons or anything I should know about), I answered "just my pocket knife (Spyderco Police model). He takes it from me. About that time, I (and the car) come back clean, and are released from the scene. I ask if I can have my knife back, he replies that I have to go to the station to claim it from the property desk after he turns it in. I did exactly that the next day, no issues. I'm relatively certain that he was hoping that I wouldn't claim it, and it could be purchased after a period of time as "abandoned".

Most agencies do not allow their employees to purchase any abandoned property due to conflict of interest. My old agency, we had an officer who was buying vehicles from the contract tow company after they were abandoned and he got into trouble for that as the agency felt there was conflict with officers towing vehicles and then obtaining them from the tow company. I agreed with that decision.

Most times in that situation you described, I would put the knife in the trunk and the person could retrieve it after they or I left. I did the same with mace and other such chemical sprays and I've seen other officers do similar in similar circumstances.