The City Council Tightens Rules on Junk Dealers
A new ordinance aims to curb petty theft by requiring dealers to maintain detailed purchase records and provide 24-hour notice before accepting items.
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Junk dealers are now within the scope of the second-hand dealers’ license law, which requires an annual license fee of $15.00. A new ordinance passed by the city council Tuesday evening is intended to protect not only the public against petty thieves but the honest junk and second-hand dealer as well. The ordinance provides that every dealer shall keep an accurate record of all purchases and a description of the seller in a book which shall be accessible to the police officers and the city attorney at all times. It further provides that when goods are offered for sale the dealer shall notify the chief of police at least 24 hours before the goods are accepted and payment is made. Enforcement of the ordinance will make it extremely difficult for either party—the petty thief or the unscrupulous dealer—to prey upon the community.
“Enforcement of the ordinance will make it extremely difficult for either party, the petty thief or the unscrupulous dealer, to prey upon the community.”
Public concern over theft and the regulation of second-hand markets remains a recurring theme in modern urban governance. The balance between allowing legitimate trade and preventing the movement of stolen property persists as a civic challenge.
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