LeadsOnline helps OPD fight crime

Tamiko Lowery

Opelika-Auburn News

Friday, September 7, 2007

The Opelika Police Department has a new weapon in its arsenal against crime, and officers have

been wielding it since Sept. 1.

 

With backing from the Opelika City Council, OPD officers now have an online tool to track pawned

property and scrap metal that might have been stolen from area residences and businesses. Capt.

Terry McMenamin says the nationwide tracking system of LeadsOnline is invaluable in combating

crime.

 

"We’ve been able to share information with Auburn to assist them in locating stolen property,"

McMenamin said. "And we’ve been able to track pawned items that county residents have pawned

in Birmingham and Montgomery; it’s unique to be able to see what transpires statewide, nationwide

and locally."

 

Just like a routine traffic stop can lead to a drug bust, McMenamin says stolen property tracked

 through the LeadsOnline database could lead to a murder arrest.

 

"Let’s say there’s a murder and theft of property and the suspect gets rid of the property by

pawning it. This system can track the pawned item nationwide," he said. "Before there was no

avenue to see where pawned items ended up; if a pawn company puts their information into the

LeadsOnline system, we can track it."

 

Not long ago, the Opelika City Council approved an ordinance that would require pawn and scrap

metal companies in the city to submit daily reports of all pawned and scrap metal items online.

McMenamin says City Pawn, Pawn Central Inc., B&B Pawn Brokers Inc. and B&B Recyclers are

all on board and that it’s been a smooth transition since the companies have been forthcoming

with information all along.

 

"The LeadsOnline system gives them a vehicle to report their items online," he said. "Say last

night we had a burglary, the next morning we go to LeadsOnline and see if any stolen property

was pawned from the burglary. We know that a lot of stolen property in the Auburn-Opelika area

has been pawned in Birmingham and Montgomery. This system gives us a heads-up. It’s in

real-time since pawned items are reported daily, whereas in the past we’d get pawn listings

weekly or monthly, and it would come to us in hardcopy form. Now, we don’t lose that time element."

 

McMenamin says there’s no cost to the taxpayer since the $5,000 for the software tracking capability

comes from a Federal Asset and Forfeiture Account. There’s no monthly fee.

 

 

"The money in the account comes from drug dealings and other asset forfeitures," he said.

 

The City of Auburn and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office have been considering the LeadsOnline system.

 

"The entire intent of this was to recover property stolen from Opelika residents, as well as residents

county-wide," McMenamin said. "There are about 184 pawn companies in Alabama that report to

LeadsOnline. That’s pretty good information we can gather from."

 

The track record of other agencies using LeadsOnline is impressive, too, said Opelika police Capt. Allan

Elkins.

 

"Corpus Christi police caught two murder suspects when items from the crime scene were pawned in

San Antonio, Texas," Elkins said. "In Duncan, Okla., Russell Hulme returned home after nine months

abroad and found $50,000 worth of music equipment, jewelry, electronics and guns stolen from his

home. With LeadsOnline, police were not only able to catch the thief but were able to recover much

of the stolen property for Mr. Hulme."

 

Elkins says the LeadsOnline system is the largest online investigative system of its kind nationwide.

 

"Hundreds of law enforcement agencies and businesses across the country are using the system to

the benefit of countless victims of crime," LeadsOnline CEO Dave Finley said. "We’re excited about

the opportunity to serve the City of Opelika and are expecting great results."