A pawn shop for Palatine?

In the movies, pawn shops are shady places where even shadier clientele sell their stuff for cash.

Kelly Swisher hopes Palatine residents see the difference between fiction and the type of business he runs.

The owner of Arlington Jewelry and Loan in Arlington Heights wants to open a second shop at the southeast corner of Smith Road and Northwest Highway.

His proposal, unanimously approved by Palatine's zoning board last month, goes before the village council on Monday.

"People always say it's not what they expected it to be," said Swisher. "We want to change the image of the business."

Patrons can either sell an item or offer it as collateral for a loan. Swisher said 78 percent of customers get their things back, compared to just 16 percent statewide.

The Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation oversees nearly 220 licensed pawnbrokers in the state, including three in Arlington Heights and one each in Rolling Meadows, Hanover Park, Buffalo Grove and Elk Grove Village.

Swisher takes measures beyond what's required by the state, noted Village Manager Reid Ottesen. That includes taking digital photos of all patrons who pawn an item. Swisher also holds items for four days instead of the required two. And he reports daily transactions to nine area police departments, including Palatine.

"It's not beneficial for me to end up with anything stolen," said Swisher. "We're under intense scrutiny."

The last year has brought a spike in business. At first, Swisher said, people came in for $50 to fill up their gas tank. Now it's $500 to make a car payment.

"Most are people who have homes, cars and children that are living paycheck to paycheck," he said. "You can't go into a bank and ask for a $500 loan when you hit a rough spot."

In June 2007, officials unanimously rejected a plan that would've brought a jewelry and loan store to a strip mall near Rand and Dundee roads.

If approved, Palatine Jewelry and Loan would occupy the former Discount Cigarettes space.