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DRAFT Regular City Council Meeting
<br />Monday, April 2,8, 2008
<br />Page 9
<br />Attachment B
<br />Councilmember Roe questioned the number of items, that were rejected because
<br />they were deemed suspicious,.
<br />Mr. Smith responded that any items, without a serial number or UPC code for
<br />scanning, or easily identifiable, were rejected; and opined that a pawnshop was,
<br />not a good place to dispose of stolen goods,.
<br />Councilmember IhIan questioned what interest rates, Mr. Smith's, firm charged-,
<br />and what the redemption period was, on materials,.
<br />Mr. Smith responded that his firm charged similar rates, and fees, as that of the cur-
<br />rent pawnshop in Roseville, Pawn America, with those rates, at 25% per month
<br />which facilitated storage and holding fees,. Mr. Smith admitted that pawning
<br />items, represented a very expensive loan, but opined that some people didn't have
<br />another option. Mr. Smith advised that the average redemption period was, 60
<br />days, without payment.
<br />City of Roseville Police Department, Lt., Lorne Rosand
<br />Mayor Klausing asked that Lt. Ros,and dis,cus,s, the Police Department's, experi-
<br />ence to-date with Pawn America on Larpenteur Avenue and Rice Street; and ad-
<br />vise if he or the Police Department had any concerns, that a pawnshop in the
<br />neighborhood increased crime; and whether a large volume of items coming
<br />through a pawnshop were stolen goods,.
<br />Lt. Ros,and advised that during 2007, Pawn America had 25,000 transactions,, and
<br />the Police Department had removed les,s, than 100 items, that were stolen. Lt. Ros,-
<br />and opined that there was, crime occurring at Larpenteur; however he advised that
<br />there was, no more crime there than in similar neighborhoods,, further opining that
<br />he concurred with Mr. Smith's, statement that you'd "be a fool to go into a pawn-
<br />shop with anything stolen with a serial number," given the imaging done from the
<br />time you walked into the store, to the time you walked out, in addition to digital
<br />photography and/or scanning of the items,. Lt. Ros,and advised that each pawn
<br />shop advised with a huge sign that alerted people that all transactions, were re-
<br />corded; that pawning of other people's, property other than your own was, prohib-
<br />ited; and that your driver's, license would be required. Lt. Ros,and advised that
<br />each night, the NCIC downloaded, through AP, , records, from individual pawn-
<br />shops, for comparison with reported stolen merchandise, and if found to be stolen,
<br />the material was, immediately confiscated from the pawnshop. Lt. Ros,and ad-
<br />vised that, of the 75 items, confiscated from Pawn America in 2007, the majority
<br />of the items, were from south metropolitan suburbs, with others, from the State of
<br />WI (mostly tools,) and/or the State of Missouri, all of which were traced through
<br />the NCIC.
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