§ 5-9. Power of chief of police to inspect pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers, etc.

The chief of police shall possess powers of general police supervision and inspection over all licensed or unlicensed pawnbrokers, venders, junkshop keepers, junk dealers, dealers in secondhand merchandise of all kinds, intelligence office keepers and auctioneers within said city and in the exercise of said supervision may, by authority in writing, empower any officer or member of the police force whenever such officer or member shall be in search of property alleged to have been feloniously or wrongfully obtained or in search of suspected offenders or evidence to convict any person charged with crime to examine the books, property and premises of any such pawnbroker, vender, junkshop keeper, junk dealer, dealer in secondhand merchandise, intelligence officer keeper or auctioneer and to search for and examine property alleged to be pawned, pledged, deposited, lost or stolen or otherwise wrongfully disposed of, in whosesoever possession said property may be suspected to be, but no such property shall be actually taken from the possessor thereof without due process or authority of law. Any person having in his possession a pawnbroker's ticket shall, when accompanied by an officer or member of the police department or by an order of the chief of police, be allowed to examine the property purporting to be pawned by said ticket. In the exercise of said supervision the chief of police may prescribe such reasonable rules and regulations applicable to and to be observed by such pawnbrokers, venders, junkshop keepers, junk dealers, dealers in secondhand merchandise and auctioneer as he may deem necessary to properly protect the interests of the public and a refusal or neglect to comply in any respect therewith or with the provisions of this section on the part of any such pawnbroker, vender, junkshop keeper, junkdealer, dealer in secondhand merchandise or auctioneer or any person in his employ or connected with the management or conduct of his business, shall be deemed a misdemeanor and punishable as such.

(N.Y. Laws 1905, Ch. 685, § 9)

State law reference

Inspection of records by police, General Business Law, § 45; classification of misdemeanors, Penal Law, § 55.10.