Surprise police hope to track down stolen property with proposed ordinance

SURPRISE, AZ - If you've ever been the victim of a burglary or theft, you may know how difficult it is to get your things back.  Police say there are hundreds of pawn shops around the Valley and if your things end up there, they are hard to track.

Police in Surprise are proposing an ordinance called the Secondhand Store Peddler Ordinance. It would affect stores that buy and resell items.

The ordinance would require pawn shops and most secondhand stores to report items valued at more than $25. This includes jewelry, computer laptops, electronics, and scrap metal. 

The information would be stored on a central database which police could check for matches with stolen property. 

According to Jason Kulfan, a Surprise Police Detective who deals with property crimes, this ordinance would help police track down crooks. Secondhand stores in other cities would also be required to adhere to the ordinance if the person selling an item is from Surprise.

A similar ordinance is already active in other Valley cities, including Glendale, Kulfan said.

Surprise has modeled its proposed ordinance after a similar one in Glendale.

Jeff Wuller, owner of Arrowhead Coin & Jewelry, which has locations in Glendale and Surprise, said he supports the idea overall. 

"I've been a victim before. I'd like to get my things back and I'd like to see the individuals responsible pay back the victim," Wuller said.

Surprise police tracked down stolen items in Wuller's Glendale shop a few months ago. Although the items were found through investigative work and not a central database, Kulfan says an ordinance would make it easier for police.

"There are hundreds of pawn shops around the Valley," Kulfan said, in regards to the challenge to track down stolen items.

Wuller said he believes some parts of the proposed ordinance would be a burden to store owners. 

Secondhand store owners would have to pay $3 for each transaction. Each transaction can include up to 999 items but Wuller said most transactions only include a few items at most.

Store owners would also have to pay roughly $130 to get licensed, fingerprinted, and have a background check.

Wuller said there is also a 10-day wait period before dealers can resell items. He said the price of gold and silver fluctuate daily and that wait period could affect resale value.

The ordinance will be heard by the City Council on March 13. Store owners and citizens have an opportunity to weigh in now. The public input process is open.

To read the ordinance for yourself or to give your input, check out the website .