Returnity OnLine, an online lost and found program initiative made possible by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will help students recover lost items through a streamlined online process. Any item a student loses can be reported and searched for through Returnity, and the database will be searched to find items matching the inquiry.
DPSEP Field Supervisor Pasquale Signorino explained that the program will be accessible to the SLU community while protecting against false claims by providing only a limited amount of information regarding the items.
“The great thing about this program is that you can look up the list of things that have been found. But specifics are kept away. For example, the list might say a TV was found near Fusz Hall,” Signorino said. “If you think it might be yours, you can either call and you are required to let them know what the specific model, or color it is, or any defining characteristic an owner would know.”
Another feature of Returnity OnLine is the availability for students to directly search for their lost items. Signorino said that users will be able to submit requests for lost items with details only known by the owner, making the process more efficient. Anyone claiming property must also provide valid identification.
Another tactic to prevent illegitimate claims is the addition of a “Reserve Field” of the claim.
This field contains information regarding the item not available to the public, but required by the claimant when attempting to retrieve the lost item.
“For, example, while the online listing may include a 37-inch television that was found behind the BSC, the reserve description would further describe it as a ‘Samsung 37-inch Series 5 Silver Plasma Screen, Scratches near the side,” Signorino said.
For members of the SLU community preferring to retrieve lost items without technology, the physical lost and found location will remain in DuBourg Hall Room 9.
To access Returnity OnLine, go to http://slulf.com/selectitemtype.aspx. Items unclaimed will be held for at least 60 days before they are donated to a charitable organization.
