So what's the deal with pawn shops and stolen guns? Story below...

[kuduman]

OK, so I just recovered a gun that was stolen ten years ago. Got it back from Dekalb County-- and for once, glad I actually did have a bill of sale or I might never have got it back.

But here's where it gets interesting-- it was recovered in Augusta, and the person they confiscated it from swore he bought it from a pawn shop in Dekalb (whose name I will keep to myself for now, but you all know the place). And HE DID. So Augusta dropped the stolen gun charge; I have no knowledge of what else might have been going on with him, other than he doesn't know jack about gun maintenance.

But... this shop sold him my stolen gun four years ago.

Don't pawn shops have to document incoming guns and check if they are stolen? This is in Dekalb; I know counties vary. Did the pawn shop drop the ball, or did Dekalb? I'm pretty ticked that I should have got it back four years ago, if folks were doing their damned jobs.

Would love to hear how it actually works from someone knowledgeable, but I would think someone should be looking for the person who pawned my stolen gun. And I'm pretty sure they are not, or they would have wanted to keep the gun as evidence. Hell, they might have the other items stolen in the truck break in in 2007.

Beyond that, if your gun gets stolen around Atlanta, YOU better follow up at the local pawn shops, because obviously the system fails sometimes, if not every time.

 

[StuP]

Fair point about proof of ownership.

 

[kuduman]

The workaround, as they told me, was if the contact officer (I believe the one that called me recently, not the one ten years back) would OK it, they would release it to me without a receipt. But I did not have to test that. And it was a private sale (not ODT; long before ODT existed).

My receipt, for the record, was a printed up form from the guy who sold it to me-- his name and address, printed by computer, along with the serial number, and "Bill of Sale", "As is", etc. What you would expect. I handwrote my info on two copies, and we both signed. This passed muster in Dekalb.

 

[Crubear]

But, but... I read on here that BOS were useless????
Were they lying?
I'm so confused!!

Glad you got it back

 

[Sandman771]

I worked in a small town (pop. about 17,000) and we got pawn tickets every week and there would be over 100 of them. Sometimes we just didn't get the serial numbers ran. But as large as the metro areas are someone should be punching serial numbers into the computers checking for stolen property.

 

[8675309]

when you sell or pawn an item at a pawn shop,they take
your picture and make a copy of your DL

seems like it would be the last place a thief would go to
sell a stolen item

 

[Sandman771]

cocaine is a hell of a drug.

 

[Road Dog]

Pawn shops are supposed to run it through some registry (or with the police?) for stolen guns. The pawn shop then can't sell it for 30 days after they acquire it.

Or it least this is how it was about 4 years or so ago when I asked an acquaintance at my local pawn shop.

 

[kuduman]

Well guys, I don't know how it went bad, but it did. And I assume no one is following up to catch the thief. If anyone here knows how I should press Dekalb to go after the crook, I'd love to hear it. I pay far too much tax here to have an ineffectual police force. And I'm willing to make a stink-- yeah, the shop probably does have records and maybe pictures and prints of who sold it. I'm not OK with the burglar getting away with that. This isn't Chicago. Yet.

 

[SafeCracka]

OK, so I just recovered a gun that was stolen ten years ago. Got it back from Dekalb County-- and for once, glad I actually did have a bill of sale or I might never have got it back.

But here's where it gets interesting-- it was recovered in Augusta, and the person they confiscated it from swore he bought it from a pawn shop in Dekalb (whose name I will keep to myself for now, but you all know the place). And HE DID. So Augusta dropped the stolen gun charge; I have no knowledge of what else might have been going on with him, other than he doesn't know jack about gun maintenance.

But... this shop sold him my stolen gun four years ago.

Don't pawn shops have to document incoming guns and check if they are stolen? This is in Dekalb; I know counties vary. Did the pawn shop drop the ball, or did Dekalb? I'm pretty ticked that I should have got it back four years ago, if folks were doing their damned jobs.

Would love to hear how it actually works from someone knowledgeable, but I would think someone should be looking for the person who pawned my stolen gun. And I'm pretty sure they are not, or they would have wanted to keep the gun as evidence. Hell, they might have the other items stolen in the truck break in in 2007.

Beyond that, if your gun gets stolen around Atlanta, YOU better follow up at the local pawn shops, because obviously the system fails sometimes, if not every time.

My cousin sold a stolen gun threw his pawn shop.... the customer even ended up getting arrested!

The held the gun for about 10 times longer then required by law plus they ran the gun when it came in with the county and FDLE and out with county, FDLE & ATF.

(customer sat in jail for 3 days during a holiday weekend and sued everyone)