YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: The nation’s largest online database for authorities investigating the sales of stolen goods was officially launched today by Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino.
Designed by merchants and local law enforcement, “Leads Online” provides “rapid electronic access to transactions from thousands of reporting businesses, such as pawn shops, gold buyers, scrap metal processors and eBay listings,” Saudino said.
“The goal of this program is to streamline coordination and communication between law enforcement and vendors in order to reduce the hassles of reporting, and get the stolen property back to its rightful owner,” the sheriff said.
Owners of legitimate businesses will be able to register their stores and receive training in entering daily sales information into the database, which can be accessed by police and prosecutors.
Forfeited funds are paying for the $44,000 pilot program the sheriff said.
Nine Bergen police departments and the county prosecutor’s office, along with sheriff’s officers, have been trained in using the program:
Allendale Police Department
Englewood Police Department
Fort Lee Police Department
Hackensack Police Department
Norwood Police Department
Rochelle Park Police Department
Paramus Police Department
Teaneck Police Department
Tenafly Police Department
Saudino said the system makes good on a re-election campaign promise to “to combat the drug addiction epidemic spreading across Bergen County and the region.”
“Individuals who commit property crimes, such as burglaries, use pawn shops and gold buyers to buy their processes and often use the profits from these transactions to fuel their drug habits,” he said.
“We believe that these services will provide a significant improve over the current reporting process in Bergen County, saving both time and taxpayers dollars.”
