Kootenai County considers new regs for coin shops

COEUR d’ALENE — The Kootenai County sheriff’s office is asking county commissioners to extend rules that apply to pawn shops and secondhand stores to coin and precious metal dealers to help curb and prosecute thefts. The sheriff’s office would like coin and precious metal dealers to record personal information about anyone selling items and a description of the items and enter it into a database. Pawn shops are required to record the information and hold items for 30 days before selling them in case they are reported stolen. The Coeur d’Alene Press reports coin dealers are concerned it could hurt their business and add that it’s almost impossible to trace a coin. Commissioners plan to discuss the issue further with sheriff’s department officials before putting it on the agenda.