SPRINGFIELD — The City Council unanimously voted to extend the moratorium on licensing new pawn brokers until June 30, 2028.
First enacted in 2014, the moratorium — which essentially blocks new pawn shops and secondhand shops from opening in the city — has been extended multiple times since it was initially implemented.
The council last extended it for three years during a 2022 meeting.
The latest vote, which took place during the council’s June 9 meeting, also maintains an ordinance that requires pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers to keep items in an “unaltered” state for 30 days before they can sell them, giving police time to search for any stolen property.
“It’s a proposal that makes it very difficult for people who steal stuff from other people to go to the pawn broker and sell [the item(s)],” Ward 7 City Councilor Timothy Allen said, regarding the 30-day hold. “It’s a good item for protecting senior citizens; [and] for protecting victims of crime.”
Chad Joseph, a Springfield police officer who works in the department’s property division, said the 30-day hold is crucial because it gives a victim the chance to report a stolen item, and allows police to investigate and recover the item.
Recently, the 30-day hold helped police recover some jewelry in Springfield that was stolen by a man who was recently arrested in Longmeadow.
“The ordinance works,” Joseph said. “I believe all the dealers and the shop owners in the city are on board.”
The city’s pawnbrokers and junk dealers ordinance also requires documentation of transaction when an item is brought in. Specifically, people bringing items in must take a photo of their driver’s license and the items themselves, while shopkeepers must document all information about the person and enter it into the New England State Police Information Network for police officers across the region to access.
“We can look up or review anything that’s pawned in New England or beyond,” Joseph said.
The council passed the moratorium with little discussion. According to Susan Kacoyannakis, the council’s administrative aide, the moratorium does not affect any renewals of licenses; just new businesses looking to obtain a license.
In the past, councilors have wondered why the moratorium does not go into effect permanently. City Council President Michael Fenton said during the June 2 meeting that constitutional reasons have prevented a permanent codification from happening.
MSBA bond authorization
During its June 9 meeting, the City Council also unanimously approved borrowing in the amount of $34.5 million for five accelerated repair projects at Springfield Public Schools that occurred in fiscal year 2025 through the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
The projects include roof and window replacements at Pottenger School, Milton Bradley School, Rebecca Johnson School, High School of Commerce and Indian Orchard School.
The council authorized the borrowing with no discussion.
