Central Los Angeles : Pawnshop Idea a ‘No Sale’ for Folks in Windsor Hills

Sure, they operate pawnshops from Boyle Heights to Beverly Hills. But when Union Pawnbrokers began mulling over plans to open a shop in the Windsor Hills area, residents said think again.

The potential for crime and the negative image of pawnshops would hurt the upscale area, said members of United Homeowners Assn., who voiced their concerns at a hearing before the county’s business licensing commission. The pawnshop is planned for a hilltop strip mall where La Brea Avenue, Stocker Street and Overhill Drive intersect.

“It’s right in the gateway to all these affluent African American communities--Windsor Hills, View Park, Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights,” said Tony Nicholas, president of the homeowners group. “People are concerned about the type of clientele pawnshops attract. They are absolutely outraged.”

The licensing commission is scheduled to render its decision July 12.

Union Pawnbrokers co-owner David Zinberg said residents are overreacting to stereotypical images of pawnshops. “We actually lower crime rates,” Zinberg maintained. “When people are in need, they can come here and get money for their things, rather than steal.”.