By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SPENCER — In 20 years, Debbie Barnhardt Basinger’s jewelry shop in downtown Spencer has been robbed one time.
She blames the pawn shop that was down the street.
“They robbed me during the day and took the jewelry to the pawn shop a block away,” Basinger said.
The pawn shop has since closed and Spencer now bans the businesses, although one still is in the town limits.
When the town board this week considered allowing pawn shops in the three-block Central Business District, Basinger and many other residents and business owners spoke against the idea.
“It would be the death of us,” said Cara Reische, co-founder of the Green Goat Gallery.
Pawn shops don’t fit with the downtown, could increase crime and have image problems, they said.
“We should have a standard better than that in downtown Spencer,” said Bob Oswald of the town’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Aldermen disliked the idea of pawn shops downtown but said they might work in other areas of Spencer. Planning Board recommended pawn shops also be allowed in districts zoned Highway Business.
Aldermen sent the issue back to planners for further study and asked members to research whether pawn shops correlate to an increase in the crime rate.
Police Chief Michael James said he’s never studied the issue but thought an uptick in crime could accompany a pawn shop because people steal items to pawn them.
Alderman Jeff Morris defended pawn shops as one of the most heavily regulated businesses in the state. Pawn shop owners must meet strict requirements regarding what they can accept and check a computer software system maintained by law enforcement for stolen goods, he said.
Sellers must present a valid ID, and security cameras are in place, he said.
Downtown should offer businesses that will bring visitors at the N.C. Transportation Museum across the street to downtown Spencer, said Nick Bishop, manager of Stoudemire Furniture.
“We’ve only got three blocks,” he said. “It’s a very small area, and we have to be very careful what we do allow in that section of town because of the effect it’s going to have…on tourists.”
Mike Deal, who was shot on his front porch in 2006 after he returned from walking his dog, said he’s afraid a pawn shop would attract the same kind of “punks” who attacked him.
Pawn shops are legitimate businesses but shady, Melissa Blount said.
“Any space we might take up with a pawn shop would be one less coffee shop … or some other restaurant,” she said.
Anne Waters said her students at the Blue Ewe Yoga Studio told her they would be fearful coming to class if there was a pawn shop downtown.
“They thought it was a horrible idea,” she said.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.