Pawn Detail Mission Statement

To support the Department in providing a safer community through the identification of suspects, recovery of property, regulation and compliance of the required record reporting and licensing requirements of pawnshops and secondhand dealer shops.

Pawn Detail Responsibilities

The Pawn Shop Detail is a one person unit within the Property Crimes Division operated by a Community Service Officer.  Responsibilities consist of responding to pawn transaction inquiries, receiving and processing of all transaction slips from each of the pawn shops and secondhand dealer shops located in the City of Modesto.  Collection is followed by review of the slip information.  All items with serial numbers are then entered into the National Crime Information Center, as well as the Modesto Police Department's computer system to check for potential stolen items.

Items determined to be stolen and pawned result in a follow-up investigation by a Detective in order to identify and apprehend the perpetrator(s).  Every effort is made to return the property to its rightful owner.  

The Pawn Detail is responsible for regulating four pawn shops and 28 secondhand dealers within the city.  Besides being responsible for the collection and processing of the slips, the Pawn Detail is also tasked with administrative enforcement regarding licensing and operating procedures of these businesses. 

The Pawn Detail routinely works with jurisdictions both locally and nationwide in the location and recovery of property.