Back in Mid July I lost 3 expensive pots along Ruston Way in Tacoma. They were well weighted in 100 ft of water with 150ft of line and two bed/white buoys on each one. After a lot of cursing about pot thieves I bought 3 new pots.

Wednesday my dad put four pots in to fish. Same scenario as before. Three of the four were missing. I went out to look for him (he is 79) and I couldn't find them either. As I was searching for the pots a boat that was anchored nearby told me that the Tacoma Police Department had been out earlier pulling pots and that they took over a dozen pots.

I was able to find the patrol boat and talked with one of the four officers on board. He said that the pots were confiscated because they were improperly labeled. They had names, city and state on them but lacked a complete street address. So they took them and sent them to the property room of the Peirce County Sherriff as lost property to be auctioned off after 60 days if unclaimed. So beware, if you are crabbing in Tacoma make sure you have complete addresses on your pots. If you have lost pots you might want to contact the Tacoma City Police

Now it really gets interesting. I must admit I was a little pissed that the City of Tacoma is using a $200k boat and four officers to look for Crab Pots that are improperly labeled. Hard to believe they don't have something better to do.

To make a long story short I ended up witnessing a verbal altercation that took place on my cell phone between the property manager for Pierce County and the Officer that confiscated the pots.
Her point to the officer was that the County was storing the pots as a favor to the city and that the officer needed to do a better job filling out paperwork and following proper procedures and that if the Tacoma City Police couldn't do that, then the County would stop storing property for the City.

The officer stated that if the county was going to be so uptight about paperwork that the patrol officers were going to start throwing confiscated pots in the dumpster instead of making allowances for their return

I got a major run around. I have been to four different locations talked with a half a dozen people and I still am not sure how I am going to get my pots back. I will try again today.

I was wrong. My pots were not labeled according to the reg, but this is rediculous.