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Pawn shops required to participate in tracking system Brad Kellar
The Herald Banner
GREENVILLE (TX) Published: January 25, 2006 01:42 am (EXCERPT) Local pawn shops and brokers will be required to participate in a system which tracks merchandise sold to the businesses, after the Greenville City Council Tuesday passed an ordinance which mandates the practice.
City Attorney Andrew Bench said he has been working alongside the Greenville Police Department for some time in coming up with an ordinance which makes implementing the l.e.a.d.s.online system a requirement, rather than a request, as a way to help track the movement of stolen property.
“The police department believes, and I agree whole-heartedly, that mandatory participation in this program is vital,” Bench said.
The Council also agreed and approved the ordinance by a unanimous vote.
Currently, the businesses participate in the l.e.a.d.s. system on a voluntary basis.
The l.e.a.d.s.online system is a Web-based investigation program which tracks items sold at various businesses according to the property’s serial and/or model numbers, general description and other criteria. Once the information has been uploaded, law enforcement agencies which use the system, including the Greenville Police Department, can then check the data to see if it matches information on property which had been reported stolen.
“The police department ... can check not only the Greenville pawn shops and brokers, but all pawn shops and brokers,” Bench said.
Under the ordinance, all dealers in secondhand goods in Greenville will be required to upload all identifying information on merchandise purchased by the business each day.
There would be no additional cost to local businesses who don’t already participate, as the entire cost of the program is borne by the police department. There would also be no additional cost to the police department, as it already participates in the l.e.a.d.s. system.
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