Adding another barrier to gun trafficking may have been an unintended side effect of newly signed legislation regarding pawn shops.
The law says pawn brokers can’t take in or buy items where the serial number or other identifying marks have been removed, altered, or destroyed. The bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), says firearms weren’t the target of this legislation, but he’s pleased if it prevents guns from being illegally transferred or purchased.
What Harmon was trying to prevent was the movement of other stolen goods through pawn shops, specifically mentioning bicycles, lawn mowers, and snow blowers.
The legislation will also require pawn brokers to keep items in store for at least 7 days to allow police more time to track down any stolen property.
The law says pawn brokers can’t take in or buy items where the serial number or other identifying marks have been removed, altered, or destroyed. The bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), says firearms weren’t the target of this legislation, but he’s pleased if it prevents guns from being illegally transferred or purchased.
What Harmon was trying to prevent was the movement of other stolen goods through pawn shops, specifically mentioning bicycles, lawn mowers, and snow blowers.
The legislation will also require pawn brokers to keep items in store for at least 7 days to allow police more time to track down any stolen property.
In other state news, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, went before the Legislative Audit Commission to answer accusations it does a poor job of keeping track of runaway kids in state custody.
The best DCFS can determine is that for 2011 and 2012 combined, between 2,800 and 3,100 wards went missing between 26,500 and 29,200 times.
