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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: Rabbits near Market Square, Cambridge

Found a pair of plush rabbits in Market Square, Cambridge, around 10:30 a.m. this morning, tucked beneath a bench by the Lion statue outside the Guildhall. One rabbit is grey knit with a tiny red ribbon, the other cream colored with a blue bow. They looked well-loved, a bit dusty from the rain, so I brushed them clean and left them on the bench where people keep an eye out for Lost and Found. It’s easy to picture a child running after them, and I hope they bring a smile to someone who needs a little comfort today.

Market Square, Cambridge by the Lion statue 3 days ago
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Found driver's license near Cambridge Central Library

On Tuesday around 6:40 pm, I found a driver's license on the pavement outside Cambridge Central Library, near King's Parade. The card looked freshly dropped and the photo glass caught the light as I picked it up. I felt a mix of relief and obligation, imagining the owner frantically retracing steps. I kept it safe and posted here in hopes the rightful owner will see it and claim it soon.

near Cambridge Market Square 22 days ago
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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 about 1 month 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 2 months 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 3 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 4 months ago