Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Jewelry dealers called eyes, ears of police; Often first to know when ...


If record gold prices tempt thieves to try and sell more stolen goods, police say local jewelry dealers will be the first to know."They're our eyes and ears,'' Cohasset police Chief James Hussey said. "If they have a gut feeling that something isn't right, they give us a call.''Hussey and Quincy police Chief Robert Crowley say the current price of about $900 an ounce hasn't led to an increase in reported thefts of rings and other gold items.Local gold and jewelry dealers aren't getting a greater number of suspicious offers, either. Dealers like Mark Cirone of Cohasset Jewelers say they notify the police of any such offers, to alert them to possible thefts.By law, dealers require gold sellers to show a valid photo ID. They're also supposed to keep a record of all such purchases for police, and hold items they buy for 14 days before selling them to a smelter to be melted down.Quincy jeweler Stephen Leigh will go before the city license board next week for a pair of alleged violations of those rules.

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