A proposed county law to regulate pawn shops, secondhand dealers, and jewelry and coin exchanges will advance to a vote by the full County Legislature.
Last night, the Legislature’s Agenda/Charter Committee approved the legislation, with Democratic Legislator Mike Patterson offering the only vote against it. Patterson said he supported the idea behind the legislation, but he had concerns that it could pose an unfair burden on some small businesses.
Republican Legislator Carmen Gumina is the proposal’s sponsor. During last night’s meeting, he said the legislation is intended to help law enforcement officials recover stolen property.
The proposed law would require dealers to get a license from the county and would apply to any Monroe County community without preexisting ordinances regulating secondhand dealers. It’d also require dealers to photograph any item they purchase to resell, and to submit that photo to a database operated by the sheriff’s office. Dealers would also be required to hold items for 14 days before selling them.
One business owner spoke against the proposal during a public comment session at the start of the meeting. Brian Joseph, who co-owns the Henrietta franchise of Once Upon a Child, said it would create a “logistic nightmare” for his business. Each day, the store buys large amounts of clothing, toys, and other children’s goods, and the prices paid wouldn’t attract people selling stolen items, he said.
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.
“Republican Legislator Carmen Gumina is the proposal’s sponsor. During last night’s meeting, he said the legislation is intended to help law enforcement officials recover stolen property.”
Hmmmm. Aren’t Republicans the ones always whining that regulations are ruining the small business man? Must be sombody stole and hocked Carmen’s watch and now he’s looking for a little payback.
Several years ago NY State legislative houses tried almost the same law proposal and it failed. Why? It was an impossible law that was
1) not enforceable by police agencies
2) a burden to police agencies – in this case it would be the Sheriff’s department
3) poorly defined the people to be covered under the law
4) poorly defined the merchandise to be covered under the law
5) created undue financial burden on small business owners – in the current proposal that’s $250 per year
6) created impossible reporting requirements that would in effect make criminals out of the business owners who must report
Nothing has been resolved in the Monroe County proposal to fix any of these problems. It will not solve crime nor help in the recovery of stolen goods. It will cause businesses to close thereby affecting a net loss to retail sales tax coming into the county.
Anyone who sells “some old jewelry” will be affected by this proposal. It is imperative to speak to your county representative about the failings of the proposed law. And plan to attend the hearing on April 9 @ 6.
Great idea. Punish business owners because the police are incapable of dealing with the actual problem: theft.