Skateboards, Engagement Rings, and Prosthetic Legs: Inside the Sometimes Weird World of LA Metro Lost and Found

The system’s four-person team handles roughly 15,000 lost items every year.

1 minute read

October 17, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Man in blue shirt looking into yellow lost and found bin at Los Angeles Metro office.

Los Angeles Metro / The Source

In a blog post on Metro’s The Source, Mey Lyn Mitteenn highlights the work of the Los Angeles Metro’s Lost & Found team, which handles roughly 15,000 items every year. “At Metro’s Lost & Found, about four employees keep the operation running smoothly. Once items arrive the team sorts and categorizes the items, then carefully labels and stores everything in its designated area. This year, Metro also introduced new software to help track and organize lost items more efficiently.”

The four-person team processes each item, which range from the usual cell phones and glasses to skateboards, engagement rings, and even a prosthetic leg. “There are many happy stories, however 75% of the objects that arrive at our Lost & Found are never claimed,” says Metro. Metro holds lost property for 90 days, after which items are sold at auction. One exception, bicycles, are donated to Metro’s Adopt-a-Bike program. 

Thursday, October 9, 2025 in The Source

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