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Found an item? Your responsibilities

What to do when you find someone else's property — your responsibilities and how to return it safely.

Found something in Cambridge? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

  1. Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
  2. Don't assume it's yours to keep. Keeping found property without trying to return it can have legal consequences. When in doubt, hand it in.
  3. Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for Cambridge; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
  4. Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
  5. Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for Cambridge with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Cambridge

Recent reports in Cambridge

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Found Sheet Music in Cambridge

I found someone else’s sheet music this afternoon in Cambridge, around 3:15 p.m., on King's Parade near King's College. It looked recently used, with pencil annotations and a small bookmark sticking out of Bar 23. There wasn’t a name on the cover, so I carried it to the Cambridge Central Library and left it with the reception desk, hoping the owner would recognize it. I can imagine someone working through scales late in a practice room, then realizing the pages were missing—how relieved they’d feel to see it again. If the owner passes by, I hope this helps reunite them with their music.

King's Parade, by King's College, Cambridge 5 days ago
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Found framed abstract watercolor print near Harvard Square

I found a framed abstract watercolor print this afternoon around 3:15pm outside the Starbucks in Harvard Square, Cambridge. It’s an 11x14 inch print in a slim black metal frame, with a soft blue-green palette and a few gold highlights. There’s a tiny scuff along the bottom edge and a small handwritten sticker on the back that reads 'M. Carter, 14'. The piece has clearly been cared for—not a cheap mass print, and it feels sentimental to someone who loves color and coastal scenes. It seemed to have been left temporarily, like someone paused there during a gallery hop or a stroll through Cambridge. If you’re the owner, I’d really like to reunite you with it; I’m keeping it safe and can coordinate drop-off or a meet-up around Central Square.

Cambridge about 1 month ago
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Found: Pink-cover paperback mystery near Cambridge Central Library

I found a paperback mystery this afternoon around 2:15pm outside the Cambridge Central Library on Lion Yard, near Market Street. It's a trade paperback with a pink cover, a creased spine, and a coffee stain by the bottom corner. The title is 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern, and there's a blue ink note inside the front cover with the initials 'A.P.' and a faded bookmark tucked between pages. It seems like someone who cared about this book might be missing it, and I’d love to help reunite it. If this is yours, swing by the Cambridge Central Library desk and mention the pink cover with the blue initials.

Cambridge 2 months ago
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Navy North Face jacket with orange lining

Found a navy blue North Face waterproof jacket this afternoon around 2:15pm near the Harvard Square T stop on JFK Street in Cambridge. It’s a men's medium with a bright orange inner lining and a small compass patch on the left sleeve. The jacket is in good condition overall; zippers work, no tears, and there’s a faint coffee stain on the inner pocket lining. If this sounds like yours, describe the patch detail or where you last left it and we can arrange a pickup.

Cambridge 3 months ago
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Navy hoodie with orange lining found

Found a navy blue fleece hoodie this afternoon around 2:15pm behind the Cambridge Public Library on Broadway. It's a size Large, no-brand, with a bright orange lining in the hood and a small coffee stain on the front pocket. The zipper works smoothly and the cuffs are a bit pilly from wear. On the sleeve there's a faint imprint from a local coffee shop—maybe someone recognizes it. If this hoodie belongs to you and you were in Cambridge today, let me know and I'll gladly hand it back.

Cambridge 4 months ago
found A

Matte black Samsonite suitcase with lime tag

I found a matte black 26-inch Samsonite hard-shell suitcase this afternoon around 3:45pm, abandoned behind the Cambridge Market area near the Grand Arcade entrance on Market Street. It has a dent on the bottom-right corner and a bright lime-green luggage tag reading 'VIP' attached to the handle; inside there's a teal ribbon tied around the zipper pulls. The suitcase looks used but intact, with some scuffs on the shell and a small sticker from a hostel in Prague on the interior lining. If the owner sees this, I’d be glad to help return it to them—really hoping to reunite it with someone who needs it for a trip.

Cambridge 6 months ago