Every dealer within the township shall, upon the purchase of any precious metals, or second hand goods from the public, be required to do as follows:
(A) Record on a numbered receipt the name, address and telephone number of the purchaser; the name; address and telephone number of the seller or sellers; the time and date of the transaction; the net weight in terms of pounds Troy, pennyweight (Troy) or kilograms/grams of the precious metals; fineness in terms of karats for gold, and sterling or coin for silver, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 51:5-1 et seq. and N.J.S.A. 51:6-1 et seq. This information is to be documented through use of an electronic database software system as designated by the Chief of Police. All costs associated with the designated electronic database software system will be incurred by the dealer. Documentation showing all fees associated with the designated electronic database software must be produced prior to the approval of the mercantile license. These records shall be subject to the inspection of any authorized police officer of the township.
(B) Through the use of applicability required computer equipment, and using the electronic format approved by the Chief of Police, enter all transactions into the electronic database within 48 hours from the date of purchase. The information entered will contain the information in division (A) above, plus the following:
(1) A physical description of the seller;
(2) The receipt number;
(3) A full description of the item or items purchased, including but not limited to, marks, numbers, dates, sizes, shapes, initials, monograms and serial numbers;
(4) The price paid for the item;
(5) The form must be signed by the seller;
(6) The form must be legibly initialed by the clerk or the dealer who made the transaction so as to readily identify that individual;
(7) A color photograph or color image of the seller’s presented identification; and
(8) A color photograph or color image of all items sold. When photographing or imaging all items must be positioned in a manner that makes them readily and easily identifiable.
(C) The precious metals are to be made available for inspection by the Chief of Police of the township for a period of three days from the date the information required above is received by the Chief of Police on the approved form. The precious metals shall remain in the same condition as when purchased and shall not be changed, modified, melted or disposed of by the purchaser until the five-day period has expired. During this three-day period, the precious metals shall be placed in public view at the purchaser’s place of business. If the property is such that it would create a hardship on the dealer by holding the precious metals for this period, the dealer may present the property to the Chief of Police in order that it may be photographed and, if deemed necessary by the Chief of Police, an investigation be implemented. The Chief of Police has the authority to grant the dealer a waiver of the requirement under this section.
(D) In the event of a database failure, or dealer’s computer equipment malfunction, all transaction information is required to be submitted on paper forms approved by the Chief of Police. In the event that paper forms are used, the dealer is responsible to enter all transaction information into the database as soon as possible upon the dealer’s equipment being repaired or replaced, or the database coming back into service. Failure by the dealer to properly maintain computer equipment in a reasonable fashion, or failure by the dealer to replace faulty computer equipment, may result in the dealer being cited for a violation of this chapter and subsequently being subject to the penalties for doing so.
(E) Dealer payment to sellers in cash shall be limited to two transactions during a seven day period for the same seller. The seven day period will commence on the day of the first transaction and end seven days after the transaction, i.e. if transaction number one occurs on Monday the seven day period ends on Sunday. Furthermore, no cash payments shall be made to the same sellers who make more than five transactions in any given 30 day period. Sellers making transactions over the number of proscribed weekly and monthly periods will be paid by the dealer by means of a bank check drawn from the dealer’s business account.
(F) It shall be the requisite duty of every dealer, and of every person in the dealer’s employ, to admit to the premises during business hours any member of the Voorhees Township Police Department to examine any database, book, ledger, or any other record on the premises relating to the purchase of precious metals from the public, as well as the articles purchased or received, and to take possession of any article known by the police officer or official to be missing or to have been stolen, or where the officer or official has probable cause to believe the article is missing or stolen.
('74 Code, § 96-11) (Ord. 165-1981, passed 11-9-81; Am. Ord. 238-13, passed 10-14-13)