Opinion Letter Summary

Opinion Letter No. 95-09
May 4, 1995
HPD Pawn Transaction Records Not Public

Public release of the Honolulu Police Department ("HPD") records containing information about pawn
transactions would reveal financial activities of the individual pawning the items. Therefore, the
significant privacy interest of the individual in such financial information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Pawn transaction records also contain confidential commercial information such as prices and terms of each pawn transaction. Disclosure could cause the frustration of a legitimate government function because pawnbrokers currently provide such information to HPD on a voluntary basis, and may cease to do so if their commercial information is made public. Therefore, the entire record is protected.

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