A. The City Council finds that pawnbrokers and certain secondhand goods dealers potentially provide an opportunity for the commission and concealment of crimes because these businesses have the ability to receive and transfer stolen property quickly and easily. The City Council also finds that consumer protection regulation is warranted in transactions involving these businesses. The purpose of this Chapter is to prevent pawnbroker and secondhand goods dealers from being used as facilities for the disposition of illegally-obtained property, to aid in the identification of individuals involved in criminal activities through the timely collection and sharing of transaction information, and to ensure that the businesses comply with basic consumer protection standards, thereby protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the City.
B. To help the Police Department better regulate current and future pawnbroker and secondhand goods businesses, decrease and stabilize costs associated with the regulation of the pawnbroker and secondhand goods industries, and increase identification of criminal activities in the pawnbroker and secondhand goods industries through the timely collection and sharing of pawnbroker and secondhand goods dealer transaction information, this Chapter also implements and establishes the required use of an Automated Pawn System (“APS”), as approved by the Police Department.