Looking to stop stolen goods from moving though pawn shops

KENT COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Burglars victimize about two million Americans every year, and that leads to billions of dollars in personal losses.

In 2007 alone, more than 2.1 million burglaries accounted for 22 percent of all property crimes.

The average burglary costs homeowners $1,900, for an estimated total of $4.3 billion nationwide. Much of that stolen merchandise ends up sold, or in a pawn shop.

Now, police in Kent County say they have an idea that will make it easier to track stolen property that ends up in pawn shops.

The Wyoming City Council is considering a measure that would change the way pawn shops do business around the city. Literally every transaction they make would have to go through the internet.

Robert Walker, the owner of Wepman's Brokers has been fighting for years to stop the flow of stolen goods back into the market.

"We take their thumb prints, we take their ID, and usually people are smart enough that if it's stolen, they're not going to give their thumb print and ID," said Walker.

Walker's store has been a family business in Wyoming for three generations, it's not necessarily a pawn shop, but a secondhand store. Walker says he has his moments where he senses that someone is trying to sell him stolen goods.

"We work very hard not to do that, even if I think something is wrong with the transaction, I'll turn it down, don't have to take that item," said Walker.

For years, Walker has taken records from his store over to the city's police department to help them track down anything that's been stolen, but now the mandate is clear. All stores, including Walker's, will have to electronically transfer all information over to the city every night, creating an all in one database for all stores.

The mandate, however, is going to cost Walker and other owners thousands to make it happen.

Walker says he doesn't have a problem with the idea, even if it winds up costing him thousands.

"I would suppose it would make it easier for me if we'll be able to email it in," said Walker, "now I have to drive two to three times a week to drop off police reports."

The electronic transfer of information is being pushed to help streamline the effort to find stolen property once a theft occurs.

"In the time that stuff is processed, by that time a lot of stuff, stolen property, there's a lot of good that goes through these secondhand stores, but a lot of the stolen property is well, gone before we have a chance to do anything," said Jack Poll, Wyoming City Councilman.

Wyoming and Kentwood are the first two cities to jump on board the idea. Newschannel 3 spoke with the Grand Rapids Police Chief on Monday who said the City of Grand Rapids will likely be on board soon as well, putting everybody on one system.