In the case that the owner can't be reached at all is one of the few cases I think it's probably ok, but the second someone comes forward and says I'm the owner

In the case that the owner can't be reached at all is one of the few cases I think it's probably ok, but the second someone comes forward and says I'm the owner I think you have to either charge them with an actual crime or let it go because it's gone from a random item to someone's property. And today that's a majority of the cases because the police are either taking the money from someone (because it's suspicious to have cash) or the item is registered somehow (car, boat, etc).