Checking pawn shops for stolen guns

[pawncop]

Another update from your friendly neighborhood pawn shop officer.

I will encourage all that are affected to check the local shops and such but please keep in mind the following facts.

1. If a gun is pawned, it will be 60 to 90 days before it comes to the floor.

2. If the gun is sold, it will take 20 to 25 days before it comes to the floor.

3. Pawn shops cannot tell you (the victim) who pawned or sold the gun. They will tell me ( or your investigating officer). Do not waste your time nor get angry if they will not cooperate with you. They MUST cooperate with me (or your invstigating officer) as that is the law of Texas.

If you locate your gun in a pawn shop, there is a process, (I have posted this in the sticky at the top of this section) for recovery. It can be a pain, and may take a while. This is especially true if it has been a while since you reported it stolen.

If you have been paid a claim by the insurance company, that will complicate it more because now the insurance company is the rightful owner. I have posted this information as well in the aforementioned sticky.

Gun shows and gun dealers are little different and you have a slightly better chance of recovery without the hassle. But you must take action right away and if the gun is located in a city other than the one that you reported the gun stolen, there may be a problem in getting an officer to confirm the stolen status and take the necessary action. Your persistance will be a key factor in this situation.

But remember, if you have been paid off, the gun is still stolen but it is not yours to recover unless you are willing to pay the insurance company back any claim you were paid.

Feel free to PM or e-mail me with any questions you do not want dicussed on the board.

I hope this is helpful for our members.

 

[Hawghauler]

Is it legal in Texas to kill the guy that stole your gun and pawned it?

 

[MadMo44Mag]

Is it legal in Texas to kill the guy that stole your gun and pawned it?

No you may not kill anyone that is not allowed but if by chance he falls on a bullet on the sidewalk and bleeds to death, that's not your fault!

 

[Big country]

No officer I was trying to catch him but that evil black rifle jumped out of it's cage and shot him before I could stop the attack the rifle was gone.
Thanks PawnCop for the info on the proper system for retrieving stolen firearms.

 

[pawncop]

Something to remember, the person who pawns your stolen gun, most of the time is not the burglar, thief, nor crook that took your gun.

Many times they are one who ended up with it.

This is certainly true if it has been over a day or two.

Most bad guys (at least the ones that have learned that folks like me are out there just waiting to pounce) will get rid of the gun on the street and the one that pawns the gun is caught in the middle.

We still get the occasional dummie that pawns it right after they stole it but find this more common with property that is non-descript (no serial number, generic items that could be anyone's) such as jewelry, tools, and the like.

In some counties, if the suspects waits for 24 hours the District Attorney will not take the case, citing that it has been too long to and cannot make an affirmative link to the offense.

Thought you might like to know.

 

[Big country]

All very true. 1 question tho. If the DA doesn't take the case can you get your gun back short of buying it from the pawn shop?

 

[pawncop]

Big country,

You will find in some of the larger counties, you as the victim will pay the pawn shop to get your gun back, and if a case is made and the suspect found guilty, you will file for restitution.

This is a practice I do not agree with, but it is not my call. In my county, the DA has set the practice that the pawn shop will bear the lose.

I do not know how it is in your county, but I know for a fact in Dallas County that is the way it has been for several years.

 

[Big country]

So it varies from county to county depending on the DA for that county. I think we need to get a better system in place for protecting the victim of these and other crimes and stop pampering the F-ing criminals. Thank Pawncop I've always wondered about that.

 

[TXTrophyhunter]

Depending on the municipality of the county. In the city of Dallas most investigators will offer the complaintant their options A) Pay the pawn shop what they are out for the item and get it back without going to court 3-6 months down the road. Or B)Have it seized and set for a magistrate hearing. You will have to bring some documentation like a receipt or bill of sale to prove to the court that it is rightfully yours. If you fail to show up at the hearing and the pawnshop has a reresentative present they will be given ownership from the court. So if you have a hearing date make sure you are prepared and show up. Remember not all city police investigators make it known you have 2 options. It may sound stupid having to pay back the pawn shop for what is rightfully yours in the first place but waiting for the hearing date and having to take time from work to be there can somtimes be more costly.

 

[Clockwork]

If you spot your stolen gun in a pawn shop will a pawn shop pull it from their shelves while you get an investigator to come down and talk to them since they can't tell you anything?

 

[Texan2]

If you spot your stolen gun in a pawn shop will a pawn shop pull it from their shelves while you get an investigator to come down and talk to them since they can't tell you anything?

If you were to spot one, (and I think the only way you could is if you knew the serial # of the stolen gun), I would recomend that you call local LE right then and there and have an officer respond. He/she can then run the gun through NCIC/TCIC and if it is stolen the shop owner has to release it to LE and the officer will give him a reciept for the property. He will also give the officer the info on who pawned/sold it. It is in this manner that I have recovered several guns. I have never had a pawn shop make any claim or want a hearing held to determine ownership.
There are also online services available to LE that lets them run driver's license numbers of individual to see what the have pawned. "Leads Online" is a great service and has lots of search options that allow LE to do all the research from the office instead of going to dozens of pawn shps.

 

[Clockwork]

It is in this manner that I have recovered several guns.

Out of curiosity, how were they stolen? Burglars?

 

[Texan2]

Out of curiosity, how were they stolen? Burglars?

Lots of ways....In south Texas everyone carries a gun in their truck especially during hunting season. So, we have had car burglaries. We recently had a rash of home burglaries in more remote areas of our county. Criminals know almost every home, especially the nice ones, have guns in them. They also know that it takes LE awhile to get to a house in the country. So they kick in the door, grab what they can (guns are always at the top of the list) and get out fast.
This ties in with another current thread about how to spend your tax refund. I cant believe how many people have thousands of dollars in guns in their house and NO GUNSAFE! I am a huge prpponent of everyone having a fireproof gunsafe...for guns and other valueables. One of the best investments I ever made.

But back to the gun thefts....luckily there are lots of dumb crimnals that pawn stolen guns the same day they are stolen.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Hear you on the lack of safes....I recently viewed a collection of 200+ guns (conservative value $150k) hung about the walls in a guest room of a house - not even a security alarm! Owner said alarms & safes were "too expensive". Go figure! I've got one Ft. Knox, and will be buying another later this year. Also in the process of evaluating upgrades to the security arrangements of the house....

 

[Texan2]

Hear you on the lack of safes....I recently viewed a collection of 200+ guns (conservative value $150k) hung about the walls in a guest room of a house - not even a security alarm! Owner said alarms & safes were "too expensive". Go figure! I've got one Ft. Knox, and will be buying another later this year. Also in the process of evaluating upgrades to the security arrangements of the house....

I love it!

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I have never had a pawn shop make any claim or want a hearing held to determine ownership.

Interesting. We owned four shops from the mid 70s to the late 90s. Rarely did we have items pawned that were reported lost or stolen that were confiscated by the police (as opposed to being reimbursed by the actual owner). Of those items that were, and that were of reasonably significant value, then we would attend the hearing at majistrate's court for determination of ownership. If the original owner failed to show up to claim their property at that time, then they would forfeit ownership and ownership would transfer to us. A surprising number of original owners never showed up to court to claim their property.

What this means is that for inexpensive items such as hand tools, clock radios, boom boxes, etc., it was not worth our expense (wages for our representative, parking fees, etc.) to show up in court. However, for things like higher end jewelry, better guns, etc., it was. On average, I don't think we attended court for this purpose more than 1-2 times per year.

 

[Jason]

Interesting. We owned four shops from the mid 70s to the late 90s. Rarely did we have items pawned that were reported lost or stolen that were confiscated by the police (as opposed to being reimbursed by the actual owner). Of those items that were, and that were of reasonably significant value, then we would attend the hearing at majistrate's court for determination of ownership. If the original owner failed to show up to claim their property at that time, then they would forfeit ownership and ownership would transfer to us. A surprising number of original owners never showed up to court to claim their property.

I guess them lawyers have to get paid somehow...

"Sorry Mr. Smith about YOUR property getting STOLEN by some scumbag THIEF but now YOU have to go through even MORE trouble to get it back from the people that bought the STOLEN property"

 

[bunkysdad]

It is so important to keep records of your acquisitions and report the theft promptly if your guns are stolen. It is no guarantee though. I had 10 guns stolen back in 1987 and have never heard a thing about any of them, and I had serial numbers to give to the police.

 

[Madatlaw]

How can we repeal the laws for pawn shops to release information on stolen weapons pawned? Especially on inherited weapons?

 

[Texan2]

How can we repeal the laws for pawn shops to release information on stolen weapons pawned? Especially on inherited weapons?

What law do you want repealed??? They do release information on stolen guns...to the police.