Web site helps track property with technology

The Rainbow City Police Department is the latest in Etowah County to join a national program which helps police investigate crimes involving pawned property - a program some agencies say has helped them significantly in solving some cases.

For an agencies participation in l.e.a.d.s.online.com to work, pawn shops within their jurisdiction have to work with police by electronically submitting all items pawned at their businesses to a Web site – l.e.a.d.s.online.com - which tracks items pawned around the country.

Toward that end, the Rainbow City Council passed a law this week requiring the city's two pawn shops to electronically submit information to l.e.a.d.s.online.com.

Police and pawnshop operators have worked for years to keep records to help track pawned property that might have been stolen or otherwise related to a crime. Right now, for Rainbow City police, that means picking up paper records from pawn shops each day.

The change will bring Rainbow City's pawn shops and police department online with those in Gadsden, Southside and Etowah County to make the practice of tracking property faster and more efficient.

Gadsden police have used the program for about two years and report it has been "instrumental" in solving many cases.

It's not just a matter of speed and simplicity of checking pawn shop records. The national aspect of the program should be a boon as well. Criminals could easily pawn property stolen anywhere in the United States in Etowah County, or property stolen locally anywhere in the United States.

This system, free to pawn shops, can track something by the description of the property pawned or by the name of a person suspected of pawning it, in any participating area.

Police departments pay a small fee for access to the information, but it would seem to be well worth the fee.

The more agencies that participate in the program, the more successful it should be in helping police find pawned property related to a case. It is good to see so many local agencies participating. Perhaps their experiences will encourage other law enforcement agencies in this and surrounding counties to become involved.

 

(L.E.A.D.S.ONLINE CLIENT - RAINBOW CITY, AL POLICE DEPT.)