By Scott Cousins
March 24, 2019
EDWARDSVILLE — An ordinance requiring pawn and second-hand stores to electronically submit lists of items taken in was overwhelmingly approved by the Madison County Board last week.
The resolution passed 23-2 with David Michael, R-Highland, and Mick Madison, R-Bethalto, voting against it. Four members were absent during the meeting on Wednesday.
Recommended Video
Pawn shops and secondhand dealers would have to participate in the LeadsOnline system, which allows dealers to upload daily information that law enforcement agencies can access.
Currently county pawn shops submit “pawn tickets” on a weekly basis to the Sheriff’s Department. The tickets are either hand-written or typed and require a large number of man-hours to process, according to law enforcement officials. Secondhand shops were not regulated.
Michael questioned whether all the affected businesses had been contacted, and expressed concerns that by forcing them to go online they could be hacked.
It was noted that several store owners attended the last Public Safety Committee meeting, and the ordinance had been changed because of concerns by one of them.
According to Lt. Kris Tharp of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the primary focus of the ordinance will be jewelry, stamps, electronics, precious metals and coins, and construction-grade power tools.
The board also took action on a number of highway-related issues, including approving $176,250 for the resurfacing of State Street in Alton between Rozier and Belle streets; $300 for acquisition of right-of-way for the Wanda Road resurfacing project; 128,000 for the acquisition of right-of-way for the Seiler Road project; 94,500 for work on West Clay Street in Collinsville; and accepted the donation of property along Troy- O’Fallon Road in, and approved a $94,000 funding resolution for the reconstruction of West Clay Street in Maryville.
Source: https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Pawn-shop-ordinance-approved-by-Board-13712688.php