Finding stolen gear

[bz£]

Some interesting advice that I'm copying from a local craigslist message, it seems like the sort of thing that every musician should know. I assume it's nationally applicable, but I can't say for sure.

RE: STOLEN GIBSON LES PAUL
Reply to: anon-74088658@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-05-18, 4:57PM EDT


I've posted this before, hopefully it will help:

I had 2 strats stolen a few years back and I got them back from the thief who stole them. If you haven't done so already, here's something you might try.

First, fill out a police report with the PD in the town it was stolen in.

Next.....music stores and pawn shops are required to register used gear that they purchase with the PD. Since there are a good many pawn shops and music stores in Boston, if the guitar was resold or pawned, chances are it was done in Boston (Suffolk Pawn on Washinton st in Roxbury buys A LOT of stolen gear). Call Ruggles PD and make an appt with the clerk in charge of the 'blue cards'.. cards used to register instruments and jewelry bought by pawn shops or music stores (or jewelry stores) in town. The clerk will let you browse the blue cards. Have your serial number with you and start digging through the cards to find it. In my case, my guitars were sold to Suffolk Pawn an hour after they were stolen, so start with that day when searching the blue cards.

IF you find your guitar in the blue cards, you'll know where it was sold. Call the PD where you filled out the police report, and have a detective accompany you to the pawn shop or music store. Chances are, they'll take it off the wall and give it back to you. If it's already been resold, you are entitled to get it back, and the pawn shop will suffer the loss in the amount they originally paid for it.
Good luck.
this is in or around beantown

no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests


74088658

[Hoblit]

He's lucky.

First of all, it's the PD's job to follow up on police reports. They don't so I imagine thats why the ad suggests that *YOU* do that.

This leads to second of all.

Maybe Boston has a moral set where they (the pawn shops) will be cooperative. I assure you that Tampa nor Atlanta share this admirable trait. There is almost no possiblity that a pawn shop in Tampa will let you browse their records for serial numbers (or anything else for that matter). The last TWO times I have followed up on stolen equipment in this town I was addressed by large sweaty men over the GUN counter. (not exagerating either) They were NOT interested in the law or 'helping a brother out'. They were much more interested in getting me the hell out of their store.

In Atlanta, I had similar encounters although by time I moved to Tampa I had grown up a bit and was not as easily intimidated. Same results though.

I, in my heart, want to believe that Boston is different. If anything, that ad warms my bitter heart just a little in thinking that if it worked for that guy...somebody else may have been re-united with a lost loved one.