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<br /> <br />ECC <br />UGENE ITY OUNCIL <br />AIS <br />GENDA TEM UMMARY <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Work Session: An Ordinance Concerning Used Merchandise Dealers, and Amending <br />Sections 4.989 and 4.990 of the Eugene Code, 1971 <br /> <br />Meeting Date: January 11, 2006 Agenda Item Number: B <br />Department: Eugene Police Staff Contact: Jean Stronach <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5492 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br /> <br />This is a work session for the council to discuss the proposed ordinance concerning Used Merchandise <br />Dealers. The ordinance would amend sections 4.989 and 4.990 of the Eugene Code 1971, to establish <br />an electronic reporting system for used merchandise dealers, establish a fee structure for maintenance of <br />the electronic system and clarify the types of items that would be subject to mandatory reporting. <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The City of Eugene’s current Used Merchandise Dealer Ordinance was adopted in 1996. Since that <br />time, Eugene, Springfield and unincorporated Lane County have experienced an explosion of property <br />crimes which show no evidence of slowing. Updating the Used Merchandise Dealers Ordinance has <br />emerged as an important strategy for law enforcement to identify the repeat criminals involved in these <br />thefts and create a better mechanism for returning stolen items to the lawful owners. The proposed <br />ordinance builds on the existing Eugene Code by modernizing the system to establish electronic <br />reporting which will provide law enforcement with ‘real time’ data on sales that can then be matched to <br />lists of stolen property. <br /> <br />Eugene Police Department (EPD) employees have enforced the current ordinance, distributing and <br />collecting secondhand dealer reports, identifying and recovering stolen property sold or consigned to <br />secondhand stores, and conducting investigations of individuals selling or consigning stolen property. <br />Lane County and Springfield each have their own ordinance which regulates secondhand dealers within <br />their jurisdictions. However, due to the Sheriff’s staffing shortages, the County is currently unable to <br />track secondhand dealers’ transactions. All jurisdictions in this region share the growing problem of <br />burglaries and theft, most of which are directly linked to the region’s drug problems. <br /> <br />Eugene’s two property crime investigators and one civilian data entry employee collect, regulate, and <br />perform data entry functions for approximately 60 secondhand stores that annually produce over 54,000 <br />secondhand dealer transactions. Due to the volume of transactions and the limited staff available to <br />work in this area, EPD can enter into Eugene’s database less than half of the secondhand dealer reports <br />that have been physically collected by the two detectives, which then limits the comparison of <br />secondhand dealer reports to stolen property lists. These limitations are not unique to Eugene, but are <br />also experienced by Springfield police and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LSCO). <br /> <br /> L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060111\S060111B.doc <br /> <br />