Under Suzhou Bridge in Beijing's Haidian district there is a graveyard. Thousands of people pass it each day but don't give it a second thought. Its occupants are neatly arranged on top of the cold concrete under the bridge and are completely exposed to the elements.

Don't worry, it's not a human graveyard, but rather a graveyard for confiscated and discarded vehicles.

Every day, Beijing police take possession of a wide range of vehicles - from criminals, traffic accidents, illegal street vendors and nouveau rich people who think the road is their personal kingdom.

Some vehicles are returned after people pay a fine but many find their way to places like the cold concrete under Suzhou Bridge. There, they sit collecting dust, dead to the world.

I pass the Suzhou Bridge a few times a week. Most of the time my mind is on other things but sometimes I look at the three inches of dust that has collected on a mostly intact black Audi and wonder ... why doesn't Beijing sell these things off?

I am not sure of Beijing's exact policy on selling confiscated items and maybe to some extent they do, but in my travels throughout Beijing I have noticed many such "graveyards".

But it's not only vehicles that sit somewhere in Beijing collecting dust. There are thousands upon thousands, if not millions, of other confiscated items.

Just the other day there was an article in the METRO section about Beijing police shutting down illegal jewelry traders. I wonder what will happen to the confiscated inventory. It would be a shame if it was just placed in a dark corner of an anonymous warehouse never to see the light of day again.

Hangzhou has the right idea about what to do with these items; sell them. The bustling city in Zhejiang province recently put everything from confiscated sweaters to computers up for auction.

The auction attracted quite a bit of attention from its citizens who rushed in looking for a good bargain. In the end, Hangzhou officials mainly sold off small items and only made an estimated 15,359 yuan. But this does present the possibility of a win-win situation.

In my native United States we also have such "sheriff sales" but local authorities don't waste time with small-ticket items like sweaters and teddy bears. Instead, they sell the big stuff like cars, houses and jewelry. Not only is it a great way for a lucky few to get what would be an expensive buy on the cheap, but it is another way for local authorities to make money instead of wasting it by indefinitely storing confiscated items.

Instead of letting confiscated items collect dust and rot under bridges Beijing should sell them. In fact, maybe the police in Beijing have enough confiscated items to start their own wholesale/auction market.

To avoid the market from becoming a greedy businessman's dream, the authorities can limit entry to those who have already signed up and have been approved for low income or subsidized housing. This way, Beijing's less fortunate residents can have a fighting chance at getting what they want.

Proceeds from the auctions and sales could go to a good cause such as improving education facilities, funding police crackdowns on illegal activities or even simply be donated to charities.

I think the message here is simple: Things that are treated as dead don't help anyone. Selling them can provide increased funding for police activities and social development. Even if the profits from such sales are nothing amazing, at least it will show the citizens of Beijing that police authorities want to do more than just regulate society, they want to give back to it.

On a personal note, I just wish that one day I can go back to Suzhou Bridge and not have to stare at one of Beijing's dusty graveyards; even a parking lot would be better.

(China Daily 11/23/2010)