Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Madison County adopts ordinance requiring electronic reporting by pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers
Loading...
Summary
On March 20 the board adopted an ordinance (Ordinance #2019‑03) requiring pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers to report transactions to an electronic database within 90 days, aiming to speed stolen‑property recovery; vote was 23–2 after the committee addressed industry concerns.
The Madison County Board on March 20 adopted Ordinance #2019‑03 to amend county code and require electronic online reporting by pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers. The measure, approved by a 23–2 vote, gives businesses 90 days to come into compliance and is intended to improve law enforcement’s ability to identify stolen property in near‑real time.
Public Safety Committee members and Sheriff’s Office staff described the change as modernization of a previously manual, paper‑or‑fax reporting process. Committee proponents said electronic reporting (via systems such as Leads Online already used by some shops) reduces paperwork and increases the probability of recovering stolen items.
During debate, board member Robert Michael and others raised concerns about data security for small businesses and asked whether local pawnbrokers had been given notice and an opportunity to provide input. Sheriff’s Office representatives and committee members said pawnbrokers were notified, that at least two local dealers attended the committee meeting, and that staff adjusted the ordinance language to address an expressed concern. The ordinance requires compliance within 90 days of approval, and the Public Safety Committee said enforcement would include education and outreach prior to issuing violations.
The roll call recorded AYES: Chapman, Foster, Glasper, Gorman, Gray, Guy, Hankins, Harriss, Holliday, Jones, King, Kuhn, Malone, McRae, Minner, Moore, Novacich‑Koberna, Parkinson, Petrillo, Pollard, Trucano, Walters, Wesley; NAYS: Madison, Michael.
The ordinance cites state statutory frameworks for pawnbroker and secondhand dealer recordkeeping (205 ILCS 510/5 and 815 ILCS 398/1) but requires Madison County vendors to use an electronic reporting system for timely submission to the sheriff’s office; specific technical vendors are not mandated in the text recorded in the minutes.