Crime & Safety

Hinsdale Chief 'Absolutely' Supports Kirk Dillard's Burglary-Related Proposal

The state senator from Hinsdale wants the state government to develop record-keeping requirements for cash-for-gold businesses similar to those required of pawnshops.

Hinsdale Police Chief Brad Bloom said the rise of cash-for-gold businesses with their lack of public sales records is related to the upswing in recent years of residential burglaries that target jewelry.

“I think it’s fueled this availability of cash for jewelry,” Bloom said. “People can get money quick with out having to provide any records.”

State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) said wants to set up a task force of police officials and cash-for-gold business representatives that would develop state-mandated recording practices similar to those required of pawnshops, so that burglary investigators can go to cash-for-gold businesses and see if stolen jewelry was sold to the business, and if so, by whom.

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Dillard’s home was one of five that were burglarized in the first two-and-a-half months of 2013.

READ: State Senator Kirk Dillard's Hinsdale Home Hit in String of Recent Burglaries

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"I don’t want to infringe on anyone’s privacy, but we need to give law enforcement the ability to go back and be able to solve these residential burglaries," Dillard said last week during a conference call with members of the media.

Bloom was asked if he’d support Dillard’s bill.

“Absolutely,” the chief said, calling the lack of a record-keeping requirement at cash-for-gold businesses an “unforeseen loophole” in the pawnshop record regulations.

Before cash-for-gold businesses became “ubiquitous” in recent years, Bloom said, it was electronic items that were often stolen during burglaries. Burglars would typically sell those items at pawnshops, which must keep transaction records that can help investigators track stolen items.

“Those items are very identifiable,” Bloom said of electronics. “People will now take items that are not identifiable.”

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