The Erie County Legislature approved a local law (11-0) sponsored by Majority Leader Joseph Lorigo and Legislator Lynne Dixon today that would require pawn shops to upload information, including photos, serial numbers, marks of identification, and the name and image of the seller, for items they purchase. This information must be uploaded onto a database before re-selling to allow members of law enforcement an opportunity to search for a stolen item. By requiring pawn shop owners to take this step, victims of theft will have a better opportunity to recover stolen items.
“During the recent public hearing, we heard from a victim who dealt with a very difficult situation and found it impossible to stop pawn shops from buying her belongings even though they knew the goods had been stolen by her son. This local law will add an important step that provides law enforcement the opportunity to locate a stolen item before it has been sold or melted down by a pawn shop and return it to its rightful owner. I believe the law will also force store owners to be more aware of where they’re acquiring their goods. The purchase and sale of stolen merchandise is illegal, and anything we can do to prevent that and help law enforcement should be done,” said Majority Leader Lorigo.
The law applies to pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers, and jewelry, precious metals and coin exchange dealers. It calls for a countywide electronic reporting program to be created with access for all local law enforcement agencies. Any purchased item must be held by the shop for 14 calendar days before selling, to allow law enforcement adequate time to search items that were acquired. The law also requires shops affected by this law to be licensed.
“Several members of law enforcement came to the Legislature requesting that this law be created and they worked with Legislators to draft the language to ensure it was helping them do their job to the best of their ability. Being robbed of some of your most personal and valuable possessions is devastating, and victims often feel helpless. This local law provides law enforcement a much needed tool that will aid victims and see their belongings returned to them,” said Legislator Dixon. “This tool will be helpful with a problem that continues to grow. Members of law enforcement have found that people are stealing from their own family members and selling those items to pawn shops to support drug habits. Hopefully we can begin to now address this issue.”
The law is subject to approval by the County Executive and would take effect after he signs it into law. Members of law enforcement encourage the County Executive to support the law.
“The Sheriff’s Office is pleased that a Pawn Shop Law was passed that protects individual’s property and provides law enforcement agencies an opportunity to thoroughly investigate and recover stolen property. Instead of property being melted down, altered, or sold, investigators will have the chance to review a database to determine whether a stolen item was sold to a pawn shop increasing our chances of recovery,” said Chief Alan Rozansky of the Erie County Sheriffs’ Narcotics Unit. “The Sheriff’s Office and many of our law enforcement partners encouraged the Legislature to pass a law that protected the victim and aided investigators. We commend all of the Legislators for their diligent and bipartisan efforts.”
Once the law is implemented, pawn shops and other brokers will be informed of what steps they need to take to abide by the law.
To review a copy of the local law, please CLICK HERE.