New Pawn Shop Bylaw
By 250 News
Monday, August 25, 2008 07:48 PM
Owners and operators of the pawnshops and second hand stores in Prince George will have to follow new rules
Prince George, BC. – There will be new rules for second hand stores and pawn shops in Prince George. City Council has given third reading to a new bylaw that puts in place some new regulations.
Designed to deter the selling of stolen items to unsuspecting pawnshop or second hand dealers, the bylaw has been in the works for three years. The final version seems to have ironed out all the bugs.
Superintendent Dahl Chambers says the new bylaw allows Police to electronically monitor the pawn shops and gives police the ability to track items.
Under the new rules, dealers will have to set up and keep records of all property accepted by the dealer. The dealer cannot sell or dispose of the item for at least 30 days unless it is returned to its original seller or pawner. Councilor Debora Munoz wanted to know who will scope the items before they are put back on the shelves at the end of 30 days. That will be up to bylaw services office, and Superintendent Chambers says 30 days may be controversial but it is enough time to allow police to track and locate stolen goods and return them to their lawful owner.
Violating the new rules could result in a fine of no less than $2,000 no more $10,000 or up to 3 months in jail or both.
When the initial bylaw was presented there were some concerns expressed by second hand dealers, pawn shop operators and auctioneers about the type of identification needed, the length of time an item has to be held, and the type of items included on the list.
Here is the final list of what is or isn’t included in the new rules:
Included
a) jewellery, other than costume jewellery;
b) electronic home entertainment products, equipment and accessories including televisions, stereos, MP3 players, computers, phones, cameras and audio and visual equipment;
c) small household appliances including blenders, toasters, coffee makers, vacuums;
d) construction tools, machinery and parts;
e) metal salvage including pipes, wires, chains, beams, railings, tubes;
f) Compact Disks, Digital Video Disks and other optical disk storage;
g) musical instruments;
h) bicycles; and
i) collectibles;
Not Included:
a) clothing, shoes, boots and personal accessories;
b) furniture;
c) household items such as dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils and cutlery;
d) books, papers, magazines, vinyl records, long playing records and audio cassettes;
e) recyclable cardboard, plastics, glass, paper, bottles, food cans and similar household goods;
f) large household appliances including washers, dryers, fridges, stoves, and dishwashers;
g) motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts;
h) motorized personal watercraft such as jet skis, waverunners and sea-doos, or parts from the same;
i) household electronic equipment and accessories procured for the purposes of recycling without an exchange or promise of consideration.
The new bylaw will take effect March 1, 2009.
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Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on August 25 2008 11:20 PM