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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, April 28, 2008 Page 9 Councilmember Roe questioned the number of items that were rejected because they were deemed suspicious. Mr. Smith responded that any items without a serial number or UPC code for scanning, or easily identifiable, were rejected; and opined that a pawnshop was not a good place to dispose of stolen goods. Councilmember Ihlan questioned what interest rates Mr. Smith's firm charged; and what the redemption period was on materials. Mr. Smith responded that his firm charged similar rates and fees as that of the cur- rent pawnshop in Roseville, Pawn America, with those rates at 25% per month which facilitated storage and holding fees. Mr. Smith admitted that pawning items represented a very expensive loan, but opined that some people didn't have another option. Mr. Smith advised that the average redemption period was 60 days without payment. City of Roseville Police Department, Lt. Lorne Rosand Mayor Klausing asked that Lt. Rosand discuss the Police Department's experi- ence to-date with Pawn America on Larpenteur Avenue and Rice Street; and ad- vise if he or the Police Department had any concerns that a pawnshop in the neighborhood increased crime; and whether a large volume of items coming through a pawnshop were stolen goods. Lt. Rosand advised that during 2007, Pawn America had 25,000 transactions, and the Police Department had removed less than 100 items that were stolen. Lt. Ros- and opined that there was crime occurring at Larpenteur; however he advised that there was no more crime there than in similar neighborhoods, further opining that he concurred with Mr. Smith's statement that you'd "be a fool to go into a pawn- shop with anything stolen with a serial number," given the imaging done from the time you walked into the store, to the time you walked out, in addition to digital photography and/or scanning of the items. Lt. Rosand advised that each pawn shop advised with a huge sign that alerted people that all transactions were re- corded; that pawning of other people's property other than your own was prohib- ited; and that your driver's license would be required. Lt. Rosand advised that each night, the NCIC downloaded, through APS, records from individual pawn- shops for comparison with reported stolen merchandise, and if found to be stolen, the material was immediately confiscated from the pawnshop. Lt. Rosand ad- vised that, of the 75 items confiscated from Pawn America in 2007, the majority of the items were from south metropolitan suburbs, with others from the State of WI (mostly tools) and/or the State of Missouri, all of which were traced through the NCIC.