PAWN: City's new law shines

The city of Coeur d’Alene recently passed an amendment to the existing Pawn Broker Ordinance and this amendment included requirements of identity for parties selling precious or prized metals. Now any buyer of precious or prized metals in the city must require identity of the sellers. This will help law enforcement.

Wes Somerton, Chief Deputy Criminal Attorney, was the city employee who produced this and guided it through committee and the City Council to get it passed. Good job, Wes. We needed this to slow down rampant burglaries of homes where they kick the door in and grab jewelry and run.

I have reviewed the ordinance amendment and find this to be one of the best in the state of Idaho. I am disappointed the Idaho Legislature would not entertain a simple statute requiring cities and counties to require identity of all precious metal and prized metal sellers by the buyers. Rep. Frank Henderson worked hard to get this statute introduced and found a good deal of opposition from small cities and counties with no pawn broker ordinance and also the County Sheriff’s Association lobbyist. I shall ask the cities and counties to review this ordinance and adopt it or one like it.

Good job Frank and let us try the next session.

JAMES CROWE

Coeur d’Alene