Specifically, the Pawnshop Detail is charged with the responsibility of monitoring the transactions of pawnshops located in Harris County and to assist in the recovery of stolen property. The scope of duties for investigators assigned to this unit allows them to operate more efficiently and make the investigators readily available to assist in enforcement related matters. This unit works closely with pawnbrokers, other divisions within this Department and other law enforcement agencies.

The Pawnshop Detail is responsible for retrieving pawn tickets from over 41 pawnshops located through out Harris County. Property that is reported pawned on these tickets is then checked in a national database to determine if the articles that were pawned have been reported stolen. The detail is responsible for investigating all property that returns a positive result in the database as a stolen article. On average the detail processes in excess of 35,000 tickets every month.

The citizens of Harris County are urged to maintain a list of serial numbers and other important information for all property in the event that it is stolen, lost or found. Additionally, marking property with a unique owner identifiable number is strongly recommended. This will assist the Harris County Sheriff's Department in the recovery of such property and the eventual return of the property to the lawful owner.