PELHAM — Selectmen have endorsed a plan to regulate pawnshops. The proposed ordinance needs voter approval at Town Meeting in March.
The ordinance would require daily reports to police on items the shop has bought or given loans for, and on the people with whom they have conducted business, Pelham police Chief Joe Roark said.
The report would include a copy of a seller's driver's license or other photo identification. The information is easily filed and easy to search on a computer, Roark said.
Reports provided to other towns' police departments have helped Pelham police solve local thefts, Roark said.
"Most, if not all, surrounding towns are doing a great job regulating pawnshops," he said.
Pelham has no pawnshops, but if one opened and voters approve the ordinance in March, the department would have regulations on the books to help identify stolen items.
Selectmen's vice chairman Edmund Gleason said he expects the ordinance could deter people from fencing stolen items locally if a pawnshop opens in town.
"We do not want to abet thefts," Gleason said.
The ordinance has been in the works for almost a year. The town's lawyer has reviewed it and the four board members at the meeting Tuesday supported it.
The ordinance would give police another tool to combat thefts, Roark said. He said he hopes residents approve it.
