A bill revising the rules regarding pawn shops and stolen items has been signed into law. Some of the old rules are still intact. For instance, owners are notallowed to knowingly purchase stolen merchandise. The change involves the rules covering the owner who unwittingly buys items that were stolen. Senator Morris Westfall of Halfway sponsored the bill in the Senate. Hesays victims of theft will no longer have to buy back their stolen goods. The pawn broker is protected by the fact the victim must agree to testify against the thief, who would then have to repay the broker. Victims might not get back their property right away. One more aspect of the law, a computerized database of stolen items will be available to pawn brokers.•
