Clay calls for tri-county meeting on pawn shops

Gary Mayor Rudy Clay is inviting mayors, police chiefs and pawn shop owners in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties to meet next week in an effort to stop the sale of stolen items.

Clay "believes cooperation of pawn shop owners and tenacious police attention regarding alleged relationships between home burglaries, stolen goods and pawn shops may reduce the crimes by a large percentage," a news release issued by the mayor's office states.

"Criminals are not selling stolen goods in Sunday school," Clay said in the statement issued Wednesday. "It is believed that pawn shops are their haven. In Gary, we are not going to take it anymore."

Clay referenced the October homicides of Milton and Rudy McClendon, of Hammond, an elderly couple who fell victim to an armed home invasion before being shot to death. Witnesses helped police in tracking down two suspects in the crimes after they allegedly sold at a Hammond cash-for-gold store some of the items they stole from the couple.

"We want to reduce and attempt to stop this dastardly kind of activity," Clay said in the release. "We must work together with other cities in Northwest Indiana to make it happen."

Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said his investigators have a good working relationship with the city's sole registered pawn shop.

"We've actually gotten calls from them when they're received something they believe may be stolen," Miller said.

It's the so-called cash-for-gold operations popping up that he said need some attention.

"Those aren't as well-regulated as pawn shops and don't require the same type of identification," Miller said. "We would like to see that change."

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he's willing to listen to any proposals to curb violence.

"Obviously we've had issues, but I respect Mayor Clay, and someone will be there," McDermott said.

While Clay pointed to a Hammond homicide, he has his city's crime issues to contend with. On Wednesday, Gary logged its 14th homicide since Oct. 1. Gary has seen a total of 44 homicides to date this year.

Times staff writers Lauri Keagle and Jeff Burton contributed to this report.