BY JEFF BRANSCOME

Thinking of opening a pawnshop in Spotsylvania County?

If so, you may be running out of time.

The Board of Supervisors, at the recommendation of Sheriff Roger Harris, is considering limiting the number of pawnshops in Spotsylvania to four.

The county would grandfather in its six existing pawnshops, which means three would have to close before another could open.

Not all county officials agree with the four-shop limit, but pawnshop owners interviewed for this story said they didn't have a problem with the idea of fewer potential competitors.

Supervisors are also considering a requirement that pawnbrokers take digital pictures of pawners or sellers and of the items pawned or sold. A bill to mandate the digital pictures statewide failed this year in the General Assembly.

Spotsylvania Commonwealth's Attorney William Neely said he supports the proposals.

"Too many pawnshops equals too many opportunities for drug addicts to dispense stolen goods and results in an increase in burglaries and larcenies in the county," he said.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposals at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Holbert Building, 9104 Courthouse Road.

Spotsylvania officials haven't provided any data to support the proposals but say other localities have restricted new pawnshops as allowed by state law.

Stafford and Culpeper counties have set limits on pawnshops at five and 10, respectively, Spotsylvania County Attorney Jacob Stroman said.

Spotsylvania Sheriff's Detective Brent Riley said the department, which manages and grants permits to pawnshops, wants to limit them for practical reasons. "With the number of shops that we have right now, we are absolutely tasked to our maximum," he said.

Spotsylvania Supervisor Timothy McLaughlin, however, said at a recent board meeting that he doesn't think the county should decide who should be in business.

"I don't know that we should be in the position to limit free enterprise," he said. "Let the free market determine whether or not pawnshops can survive."

The proposals affect existing pawnshops, too.

Pawnbrokers would have to keep electronic records of transactions--including digital pictures of pawners and items pawned--and file them with the Sheriff's Office through an online reporting program. They would be required to keep the records of gems and precious metals transactions for two years and of all other deals for a year.