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 Great Falls? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
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.
Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for Great Falls; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for Great Falls with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Great Falls

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Great Falls

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Found wrist watch near Gibson Park, Great Falls

Yesterday at 3:15 PM, I was walking along Gibson Park's River's Edge Trail in Great Falls when I spotted a wrist watch left on a bench near the park's gazebo. It has a silver face, a black leather strap, and a small initial engraved on the back. I didn’t see anyone nearby who looked like they were searching for it, so I picked it up and kept it with me while I posted here. It feels good to help someone reunite with this everyday item. I hope the owner sees this and knows it wasn’t far from where they might have dropped it.

Reward

Gibson Park gazebo, 3rd Ave NW, Great Falls about 17 hours ago

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Found guitars near downtown Great Falls.

At about 6:45 p.m. last Friday, I found two acoustic guitars leaning against the brick wall outside the Paris Gibson Square Arts Center on 1st Avenue South in downtown Great Falls. A light drizzle had started, and the streetlamps cast long shadows as a handful of people moved past. I waited a moment to see if someone would return for them, but no one did. One guitar has a sunburst finish and the other a plain black body, both with worn straps that tell stories of gigs and late-night practice. I brought them to safety, hoping the owner would see this post on the site.

by Paris Gibson Square, downtown Great Falls 6 days ago

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Found Canines in Great Falls

I found Canines wandering together this morning in Great Falls. Around 8:15 a.m., I spotted them near the River's Edge Trailhead by Gibson Park, looking a bit confused but friendly. One dog had a red collar and a small name tag; the other wore a blue collar with a stray tag. I kept them safe and brought them to the local animal shelter, hoping their owner sees this listing and can identify them.

River's Edge Trailhead, near Gibson Park 21 days ago

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Found remote controls in Great Falls

Today at 2:10 p.m., while passing by the Great Falls Civic Center on 3rd Street, I found a bunch of remote controls scattered on the sidewalk. Some are branded, others are generic—batteries rattled around in the tote I picked up to keep them from blowing away. I brought them to the Civic Center lobby so they’ll be easy to claim for the owner. It’s a little odd how many remotes can accumulate in one place, but I’m glad someone will get theirs back.

in front of the Great Falls Civic Center, 3rd Street 28 days ago

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Found: Equipment for Various Sports in Great Falls

I found equipment for various sports this afternoon around 2:15 p.m. outside the Great Falls Civic Center on 9th Avenue. It looks like a mixed bag—a few tennis rackets sticking out, a basketball, a soccer ball, a folded yoga mat, and a whistle. The bag bears a faded team logo that's rubbed off. I picked it up to keep it safe and carried it to the Civic Center steps, hoping the owner will see this listing. The sun felt good on my shoulders, and it gave me a small sense of relief to help someone out.

Great Falls Civic Center, 9th Ave about 2 months ago

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Found gray tabby cat with white paws

I found a gray tabby cat with white paws this afternoon around 4:15pm by the Market Place on 10th Avenue South in Great Falls. It’s an adult cat, about medium size, wearing a blue collar with a tiny bell and a faint white chest patch. It has a small scar on the nose and its left ear is a little bent, which makes it easy to spot. The cat was friendly, let me approach, and I carried him to my car so he wouldn’t dart into traffic. I’d love to get him back to his owner—he seems loved and missed.

Great Falls 3 months ago