HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Council Action Form, November 5, 1985 ITEM
i DATE November 5, 1985
COUNTIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: Pawnshop and Precious Metal Ordinance
BACKGROUND:
During 1983, the citizens of Ames reported property losses of $506,634 from
burglaries and thefts. In 1984, the amount was $578,125, and through
July 1985, $307,187. The police department's recovery rate has been about
40%. It is believed that the ability to solve various thefts and burglaries
and increase the amount of property recovered would be enhanced with a pawn-
shop and precious metal ordinance. The following are a few examples:
1 . A suspect was arrested for burglary. The suspect admitted to twenty-
eight burglaries that had been reported in the City of Ames during a five
month's period. The same suspect claims that he had entered hundreds of Ames
homes looking for cash or jewelry. He stated that he was always careful
not to disturb anything, thus the burglary would probably go undetected by
the victim. The suspect admitted that he sold much of the stolen jewelry to
various precious metal buyers in Ames. The stolen property in these cases
was never recovered.
2. Two juvenile suspects sold part of their mother's coin collection and
jewelry to local precious metal dealers. By the time the mother discovered
them missing, the precious metal buyer had already disposed of the items, and
they were never recovered.
3. A young man sold four rings to an itinerant precious metal dealer for
$37. On the same day, a detective happened to be checking the items this buyer
had purchased, and this particular transaction seemed suspicious, so the
detective checked on the rings, but they had not been reported stolen. The
merchant shipped them off the next day to be melted down. Seven days later,
the victim reported the rings stolen. They were valued at $950 and were never
recovered.
4. An employee of a local business stole numerous TV sets and stereos from
the store where he worked, and then sold those items to a local pawnshop, some
still in their original cartons. Some of the property was recovered from the
pawnshop, but many of those items had been sold and the buyers name was not
recorded, so these items were not recovered.
5. A juvenile sold several pieces of her parent's silverware to a local
precious metal buyer for $168. Several days later, the parents reported the
silverware missing (the replacement value was $980) . The buyer of the silver-
ware had already disposed of it, and it was never recovered.
On June 16, 1981 , the City Council passed a motion directing the City Attorney
to draft such an ordinance. That was accomplished, but after a meeting in
September of 1981 , between city staff and some dealers, it was decided to make
Council Action Form (con't)
an effort at voluntary compliance and not enact an ordinance. This effort has
not proven to be satisfactory.
ALTERNATIVES:
1 . Take no action.
2. Set November 19, 1985, to consider enactment of a Pawnshop and Precious
Metal Ordinance.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The City Manager recommends that the City Council adopt alternative #2, and
set November 19, 1985, to consider enactment of a Pawnshop and Precious Metal
Ordinance.
COUNCIL ACTION: