MERIDEN - No ID? Don't be surprised if your local pawn shop turns you away rather than buying that piece of jewelry or power tool you were trying to sell.

During the past six months the number of people pawning or selling items has increased significantly, according to representatives of several local stores, but shop owners said state laws and communication with local police departments help protect them from purchasing stolen goods or becoming targets of illegal schemes.

"In the pawn business, everyone benefits when a store keeps an open line of communication with the police in their area," said Jesse Daenekindt, owner and manager of The Jewelry Store at 412 W. Main St. "It's something that protects the store and can actually help police in their efforts to solve certain crimes."

Daenekindt and Michael Pomponio, store manager of JB's Pawn Shop & Julie's Jewels, 265 Cook Ave., each said Monday that whether the economy is booming or depressed, pawn brokers need to take action to protect their assets and their business.

Under Connecticut law, police are allowed to seize property as part of criminal investigations even if the item has already been purchased by a pawn shop. If pawn brokers take in stolen items that are confiscated, the business loses that item and any money paid for it, the owners explained.

The recent sales spike has been driven by people looking to sell gold and other jewelry. Although most customers are legitimate - Daenekindt estimates that more than 95 percent of customers can prove ownership - there are occasionally people looking to take advantage of the system.

"When you see an 18-year-old kid coming in and trying to pass off a 2-carat diamond as his own, things like that give you a pretty good idea that something isn't quite right," Daenekindt said.

So how do pawn shops protect against buying stolen goods? Pomponio said paying close attention to state laws and recordkeeping are great ways to start.

State laws require pawn brokers to keep records of everything purchased and the names and addresses of the people selling those items. These records are then given to police weekly, if not daily, according to local owners. In many cases, Pomponio said, careful recordkeeping can deter thieves from trying to sell stolen items.

The Jewelry Store not only complies with these laws, Daenekindt said, but has gone a step further to implement a computerized system that allows the scanning of IDs and the tracking of certain kinds of sales. Furthermore, he said, the system allows information to be forwarded to police with a few keyboard clicks.

In the future, he said, the store would look toward technologies including a fingerprint machine that would allow his staff to keep electronic records in any case in which an illegal ID is presented.

Meriden Deputy Police Chief Timothy Topulos said in a phone message Tuesday that communication from pawn shops is also a way for police to monitor activities and ensure that local businesses are legitimate.

Police said that although local stores like The Jewelry Store and JB's have been good partners, there are businesses that try to operate under the radar.

"We certainly don't mind complying with the laws," Daenekindt said. "We would rather they come in and work with us daily so we can prove we are a legitimate business and help get rid of that stigma that can sometimes be attached to the term 'pawn shop.' "

Police also relay lists of stolen items to the shops. Pomponio said he can recall times when the lists were delivered minutes after a theft and led to the store avoiding a bad purchase and even helping direct police toward a suspect.

The system is not flawless, Daenekindt said, and there are times when someone may find a way to convince shop managers and owners to buy an item that may have been stolen, even when all precautions are taken.

"We do make every effort to avoid it. No one wants to jeopardize their business for a couple hundred dollars here or there," Daenekindt said. "Sometimes, though, it's a person or item you'd least expect. In those situations, you have no choice but to write it off as the cost of doing business."

jvallee@record-journal.com
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