A bike for $5? With Christmas on the horizon you might be asking where to sign up for that deal! Well if you weren't at the Queen Street Police station earlier today, sorry to say….you missed your chance.
In the last 6 months, Police officers have collected dozens of motorcycles and hundreds of bikes from perpetrators, crime scenes and as unclaimed evidence. And today they put them all on auction. These bike prices run so low because the majority of them are extremely old, rusty, and worn out.
But that did not stop deal-seekers from coming out in numbers, hoping for a Holiday come-up - we were there:
Cherisse Halsall reporting
This morning a crowd assembled at the Queen Street Police Station to scream and haggle for bikes, motorcycles, and even flat-screen TV's. We spoke to Officer Commanding Prosecution Branch, Superintendent Carol Tucker. She told us that the profit made from found items are directed into the Police Reward Fund.
Supt Carol Tucker, OC prosecution Branch
"These items are unclaimed items that are found properties and we sell them for auction."
"We have a hundred and odd bicycles, the electrical items, we have three TV's and we have one boat and motorcycles for sale."
"The bicycles start from five dollars, ten dollars, some of the bicycles go all the way up to 50 dollars."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And for the motorcycles?"
Supt Carol Tucker
"The motorcycles, it goes depending on the condition it goes seventy-five dollars, a hundred dollars, two-fifty, three-hundred it all depends on the person who is doing the auction."
"They used to do it at every district but what happened is for the past three days. It started to do it only in Belize City so we collect all the items from the entire districts bring them to Belize City."
The crowd of auction-goers comprised young and old, most looking for a bottom dollar deal on a working set of wheels
Auction Goer
"I was over there by Simon-Quan."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So is it the first time you've come to this auction."
Auction Goer
"Yes Ma'am."
Cherisse Halsall:
"What was it like?"
Auction Goer
"Exciting."
And some enterprising young men started working on the bikes before they even took them out of the Queen Street station.
The Auction goers learned about the bargains through a variety of media:
Auction goer
"I saw it on facebook."
Cherisse Halsal:
"And are you happy that you came out today?"
Auction goer
"Not really because the man got here late but I just like coming to auctions."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So how are the deals out here today?"
Auction goer
"Well, they're cheap it's good for people that need a little bike to ride around $5,$10,$20."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So no complaints overall?"
Auction goer
"Just that the man late but other than that, it's Belize, everybody, always late"
Auction goer
"Honestly I didn't even know what I was doing but I wanted a bike so."
Cherisse Halsall:
"How did you hear about the auction?"
One of my co-workers told me about it so and I needed a bike so I just came for it.
Cherisse Halsall:
"So what was the experience like?
Auction goer
"Right now crazy but fun at the same time, so I'm having fun where I am right now."
And this kid is a veteran of the police auctions who checks in once in a while to make sure he's aware of the next auction date.
Auction goer
"Miss because I went to ask the officer Ms. I asked one of them if they have it."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And is this the first time you've come to this auction?"
Auction goer
"Miss this is like my fifth time."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So what keeps you coming back every year?"
Auction goer
"Miss because I only get fat things check out this wind cutter here that I got. Fat wind cutters, two wind cutters boy, I'm not playing."
"Five bills, only five dollars you know. I'm gonna fix this up, here's the little receipt right here. Receipt: five bills."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Legit."
Auction goer
"Legit, yes."
Tucker told us that found property from all districts is consolidated and auctioned in the city twice each year.
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