Pawnshop and Theft ?

[SoonerStatePawn]

True. I don't. This is why I used the opening phrase "seems like".

Not a positive declaration. I was posting that statement based on the info I'd read in this thread on this forum. After posting, I read new posts and saw your first mentioning of the report to law enforcement. That makes sense. Still sucks that if something does come up stolen, it's up to the original victim to pay for it if the shop so chooses. I can call an LEO friend and get serial numbers ran, before a purchase, seems like shop owners could do the same.

Also, just out of curiosity, is the reporting that your shop uses a voluntary thing? I'm wondering how so much stolen merchandise ends up trafficking through pawn shops if a report is done on everything. Are just reputable shops like SSP doing this voluntarily or are some shops simply not reporting what they should?

Pawnshops are very heavy regulated by the government these days. It is required that ALL pawnshops in the State electronically send our daily records to the Police Department. They have a department at OCPD called Pawn Detail and there are two detectives that run the pawnshops. Like I said before, I've never charged a customer to get their merchandise back if for some reason charges could not be placed on the person who pawned the merchandise. From my experience Law Enforcement will pickup the merchandise from the pawnshop and determine whether or not the property is given to the victim or taken to the property room.

We do get stolen merchandise from time to time, most stolen stuff seems to hit swap meets, craigslist, garage sales, ebay, etc... Almost everytime something has been reported stolen we get a call within a day or two of it being taken in.

 

[twoguns?]

I wouldn't buy it back either. I would be on the Police and DA. I would be calling the pawn shop. I would contact the local news media. I would be contacting state congressman.

Change can happen. Don't think so? What about the last 5 yrs? What is coming? Speak up now or enjoy what comes.

In Texas, the pawn shops were some of my regular shopping stops. In Okla, don't, won't go, not going to be part of the problem and support legalized theft.
While living in Texas, we had a break-in. Thief was identified (a family 'friend?' who knew we would be gone that weekend), but could not be found by police. I filed police report. I found my property in pawn shop and called police and waited for them to arrive, identified property with original police report in hand. They confiscated item, photographed, and returned to me on the spot. Pawn shop supplied police with video of 'suspect' pawning items. A few days later, I spotted him going into a bar. Called police, waited for them to show up. Made sure he saw me as they 'cuffed and stuffed' him. Testified in court, even though his Mom asked me to let it slide. He served time and then had his wages garnished to pay me restitution. Justice served. The Detective on the case told me the Police weren't working the case more actively because they figured since he was a 'family friend', I wouldn't follow through with charges.

Like I said , Sorry ,it was a slant on heir obama's "hope and change " regalia.
this usually means "sarcasm" at least thats what I ment
and I agree its Going to change, I just hope for the better.
Seems at least our sponsor pawnshop is trying to do right, if I come up there I'll be sure to stop by.
Maybe I'll try going to Texas and buy some guns.... ...they should be plenty enough there.

 

[Buzzgun]

Let me tell you a little story about pawn shops and theft.

A couple of years ago, in April, my house was burglarized, we called TCSO and made a report. On August 1st, I found one of the items listed on Ebay, the seller was a local pawn shop. I went to the shop and talked to the owner privately and explained that the item was stolen. He was VERY cooperative. He told me about the daily reporting rule and told me he could not give me the name of who pawned the item, but he would certainly give it to TCSO if I would have them call or stop by. He said TCSO could enter the name in the system and look at every item this person had pawned and could possibly find other items that had been taken from me. I left the shop and went straight to TCSO and spoke with a detective. He pulled the burglary report, confirmed that the item was listed and told me he would contact the pawn shop. I called back a few weeks later and asked for a status on the item and the case. The detective informed me that he had never even gone to the shop to pick up the item!! That is the last I heard about the case.

I was not happy, I gave them a great lead in the case and they didn't even take the time to go by the pawn shop.

Also seemed like they tried to make it as difficult as possible to amend the report when we found additional items missing. We tried to go the TCSO and give them the list of additional items and they wouldn't take it, they said we had to call the deputy and have him come back out to add the items to the list.

The total loss on the burglary of my house was $22,000.......wonder how many other places the same people ripped off while the sheriff's office had info that could have prevented it??

 

[Walrus]

the way the law "should" look at it is that the criminal victimized 2 people:

1.) you are victim #1
2.) Pawn shop is victim #2

Criminals tend to do this type of things so the pawn shop should have to give the stuff back to you...Then, the cops can charge the bad guy with theft from the pawn shop in the amount they had in the stuff...THAT is fair...for them to make you buy your own stuff back is totalitarian socialism...you should be able to TAKE your stuff back by any means necessary. I can't believe this is really a lawful to make you buy back your own stuff...the pawn shop should be able to sue the criminal but you should get your stuff back immediately. Stuff like that will keep them honest and help curb pawn shops buying stolen goods.

+1

Good stuff. Pawns know they can operate on the shady side because they can't lose. If you bust in and take back YOUR stolen stuff, you're the perp.

But then, you have to remember that politicians make laws and they make laws to fit whoever pays them best (and it ain't you), and they don't make any laws which won't make more employment for lawyers.

 

[TerryMiller]

All very interesting.

I would have thought that the law enforcement agency would have taken the merchandise as "evidence" if nothing else. It seems I read somewhere of a citizen being involved with shooting an intruder (can't remember where this occurred) and that the law enforcement agency took his firearm as "evidence."

If all that is true, the "victim" of the robbery/burglary gets victimized either way.

 

[turkeyrun]

no prob, 2guns, I got the baba reference and sarcasm. The whole pawn shop crap has my blood boilng. The Lawton pawn shops do operate as I have stated and the Chief of Police confirmed. At least it sounds like Sooner State is an ethical operation, thank you, it is nice to know. I try to stay out of Lawton, as much as possible, and shop in Texas. When I get to OKC, I will stop in SSP and look around.

 

[Pokinfun]

My daughter had her iPad stolen. Called the police within 4 hours of being stolen. Got a call the next morning to come in and make a full report. Took the box in with the serial number on the box, for the report. Daughter gets told the iPad was sold to a pawn shop, by someone she knew. Go to the police and tell the detective. He says we gave him the wrong serial number, which he copied off the box.
Pawn shop sold the iPad within hours of buying it. We are told it is our fault because the serial number was wrong on the report.
We know who bought the iPad and where it is, but it is no longer ours, because the pawnshop sold it. All we could do is file charges against the girl and her boyfriend for stealing the iPad. When they get arrested we can hope the judge makes them pay us restitution for the iPad or sue the in small claims court.
The ***** part of it is, they sold it for gas money to move to Mississippi. We know exactly where they live and cannot have them arrested or anything.

 

[DanB]

Last year we had a tool(18v Dewalt saw) get recovered by the Warr Acres Police. Prater's office was pursuing criminal charges against the guy so it had to go through court. Once it was all said and done I was sent some documents to fill out and return to the DA's office. I got them back and was instructed to go give the Pawn Shop the court papers and retreive my property.

Ironically I told the DA that we had settled with insurance on the theft. Travelers didn't pick up the saw so I went ahead and did. I emailed the contact I was dealing with. Still waiting on them to show up to pick up their saw. Something tells me they aren't going to be in any hurry to pick up a 5 year old cordless saw with 1 battery and no charger.

several years back we had a theft on a jobsite at Rockwell and NW Expressway. The thief pawned the tools at the pawn shop in the same shopping center we were working on. Our employee went there shortly after finding the tools missing. Walked in to see a pile of cordless tools with the company name written on them sitting on the counter. We were told tuff luck without getting the police involved and producing serial numbers. Back then we didn't have anything inventoried. Shame on us.

 

[HMFIC]

Pawnshops are very heavy regulated by the government these days. It is required that ALL pawnshops in the State electronically send our daily records to the Police Department. They have a department at OCPD called Pawn Detail and there are two detectives that run the pawnshops. Like I said before, I've never charged a customer to get their merchandise back if for some reason charges could not be placed on the person who pawned the merchandise. From my experience Law Enforcement will pickup the merchandise from the pawnshop and determine whether or not the property is given to the victim or taken to the property room.

We do get stolen merchandise from time to time, most stolen stuff seems to hit swap meets, craigslist, garage sales, ebay, etc... Almost everytime something has been reported stolen we get a call within a day or two of it being taken in.

... and yet another reason why Sooner State Pawn is just the most awesome place around. Thanks for the clear explanation Tommy!

 

[53convert]

Yes, this is result of a federal court decision from the 80,s
Basically the pawn shop has a financial interest in the item and thusly haves right to recoup the loss.
I felt with that as a police detective for years
I don't necessarily agree but that's the law.
The pawn brokers associations were the ones that pushed that law suit.
It was a big deal for them as, frankly, most police departments or da,s really pushed the stolen property crimes of that time