Police Meet With Pawnbrokers

The meeting between Gwent Police and local members of the National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA) in Newport was organised and facilitated by the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Paul Harris, and James Watkins from the NPA. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure stolen goods cannot be used as assets to gain loans.

As well as providing loans, all pawnbrokers have a significant retail presence as part of their commercial operations. Therefore, there are a range of business crime types which also concern their members. These were all discussed in detail at the meeting today.

Highlighting the positive outcomes from the meeting, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Paul Harris, said: "It was a good chance for the police and the industry to get together and get a better understanding of working practices on both sides. This was a really positive and productive meeting and was very informative for all involved. Communication between members of the public, retailers and the police is vital."

The Chief Executive of the National Pawnbrokers Association, Ray Perry, said: "Our meeting at the Queens Hotel in Newport was an important milestone in developing the close cooperation between Gwent NPA members and the Police. We want to crack down on criminals who try to defraud our industry and who are a menace to our communities."