I posted last week about some rat bastard(s) breaking into my home and stealing some of my stuff. A few developments since my previous post:

• We figured out that the burglar(s) also took a framed family picture that was in our entertainment center along with the electronics. The only thing we can figure is that they wanted the frame.
• My brother-in-law and I successfully installed a new door and frame. Total cost of the repair is going to end up being about $200.
• I called the incident into our neighborhood’s security patrol line. Not that there is really an active security patrol, but you can leave voicemail messages which are reviewed by an officer specifically assigned to the neighborhood for follow-up.

My other brother-in-law also did a Craig’s List posting offering a reward for the recovery of his stolen guitar, which got an interesting and informative response from a former HPD officer. The former officer provided some tips on trying to recover property stolen in a burglarly. The information is specific to the city of Houston, but would likely be similar in other areas.

• Make sure that a copy of the police report with the information on the stolen items makes it to the pawn shop detail. This group is specifically assigned to enter and review pawn tickets submitted by local pawn shops for stolen goods. These tickets must be completed whenever a pawn shop accepts an item for pawn and turned into the police. There are very few officers that work this detail, so persistence is key.
• Items pawned in Houston must be held for 30 days. In theory, items pawned are collateral for loans made by the pawnbroker and if and when the person who brought the item in does not pay back the loan the item can be sold by the pawnbroker to recover what he is owed. The transaction is not an outright sale of the property to the pawn shop.
• If the items were pawned, they are most likely to show up in a shop across town after the 30 day waiting period is over.
• Expect to do a lot of legwork to find your items in a pawn shop.
• If you do find an item that is your in a pawn shop, DO NOT declare that it is yours! Act interested in the item and ask the shop to hold it for you, leave, and call police. Make sure to have a copy of your police report detailing the item(s) to provide to the responding officer. As our friend noted “The pawnshop is interested in making money, NOT in helping you get your property returned. They have already paid money out.” As we are reminded here, the pawn shop has no incentive to return your property, as they have already paid money for it and lose completely if you reclaim the item as stolen goods.

Perhaps these tips will help someone else out there. We certainly never realized that we shouldn’t confront the pawn shop ourselves if we find our property or that it would take 30 days to show up on the shelves.

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