NCJ Number
205798
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 156-179
Date Published
May 2004
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated pawnshop transaction data from Texas to assess the argument that crime prevention for stolen goods should focus on disrupting the demand for stolen goods.
Abstract
Recent research has posited that the market for stolen goods creates an incentive for thieves to steal and, as such, law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing theft should concentrate on disrupting the stolen goods market rather than concentrating on the thieves themselves. Any policy shift should be well supported by empirical data and the underlying research in support of this advice is thin. Following a description of the pawnbroking industry in the United States, the authors analyzed 3 main data components: (1) all pawn transactions recorded by the Dallas Police Department during the 6-year period between January 1991 and December 1996; (2) 1,000 randomly selected pawn tickets issued during the first half of 1993 by 102 pawnbrokers; and (3) information on 2,000 pawn brokers regarding State arrests. Although results of statistical analyses revealed support for the argument that pawnshops offer a convenient way of disposing of stolen goods, the proposal to focus enforcement efforts on pawnshops would be unlikely to succeed because stolen goods are invisible within the daily flow of secondhand merchandise. Since stolen goods cannot be quickly and easily distinguished from other secondhand merchandise, enforcement at the demand site is impractical. However, improved monitoring within pawnshops has shown benefits in terms of increased recovery and apprehension. Scholarly, empirically-sound research is needed before any major policy shifts occur. Tables, appendix, notes, references