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The Prince George's County Council is weighing whether to bar pawnshops from selling medicine and personal products in response to a crackdown on stolen goods being sold by some businesses.

Councilman Eric Olson (D-Dist. 3) of College Park on Tuesday introduced County Bill 38, which would prevent pawnshops and secondhand stores from selling anything that can be "ingested" or "applied to the body."

"From a health and safety perspective, these should be sold by a central store, not brought in from [the streets]," Olson said.

The move is the latest in the county's campaign against stolen goods being sold at area pawnshops. While overall crime is down, police blame a rise in burglary and petty theft on the prevalence of pawnshops willing to take in the stolen goods.

Over-the-counter medicine and beauty products make up a large amount of suspected stolen goods, according to records released by the police department. According to police, one unidentified man sold more than $6,382 worth of beauty products and retail medicine to pawnshops in June. Another man was listed on pawnshop records selling $1,472 worth of razors, dental hygiene products, cold medicine, medical supplies and printer ink cartridges the same month.

State law requires anyone pawning an item to give at least two forms of identification. Names and other information are recorded by the shop and sent to police every night. There are 27 licensed pawnshops in Prince George's County.

Police Chief Roberto Hylton has said the high amounts of sales for the everyday products indicate that many of the items are stolen from stores. In July, he appointed a task force of 11 investigators to target pawnshops that are allegedly selling stolen goods. The crackdown has resulted in several raids.

Olson said he has included health and beauty products in the proposal because they are popular with thieves.

"A lot of our major retailers do see these items go missing," he said.

Maj. Robert Liberati, head of the county's Pawn Shop Task Force, which targets shops that traffic in stolen goods, said he had not seen the bill but that he agreed with its intent. Police try to deter the shops from buying inexpensive, easily shoplifted items, but have no law to stop them.

"Anything that would reduce shoplifting is our goal," Liberati said. "These should not be in a pawnshop in the first place."

According to the bill, any pawnshop caught selling "cosmetics, devices, drugs or medications, food or food additives for human consumption" faces a $100 fine. Second and third violations rise to $250 and $500 if they occur within one year, and additional violations carry a $1,000 fine.

Council members voted to introduce the bill Tuesday without comment, referring it to the Transportation, Housing and Environment Committee for review.

Michael Cohen, owner of Top Dollar Pawnbrokers in Oxon Hill, said he supports the law. He said his store does not buy medicine or beauty products because of concerns that the products have been stolen.

"[Stores that take these items] sound like one shady pawnshop," he said. "Yes, they are following the laws by entering these items into the system, but they aren't being morally, legally or ethically sound. [They are] knowingly taking in items that were probably stolen."

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.