In the past couple weeks, three people randomly talked to me about three different aspects of gun buyback programs. Because of them, they got me to thinking about gun buyback programs more than I should. So, I thought I’d solicit your thoughts.
The first person is concerned about crime fighting in Chester and believed there should be more gun buyback events.
The second person considers guy buyback programs a hoax that does little to get guns off the street that are used in crimes.
The third person wonders what happens to the guns that are collected.
In their opinion, there aren’t enough visible signs that Chester is doing an active job of fighting crime and gun buyback programs are a highly publicized event that keeps crime fighting activity in the public eye.
I think gun buybacks do more to promote the corporations that accept the buyback vouchers than it does to fight crime. Sneaker Villa and Super Fresh get a lot of publicity out of these events.
Person Two
In their opinion, the guns collected in the gun buyback programs aren’t the one that the neighborhood thugs are carrying in their waist to commit crimes. The guns collected are the ones collecting dust in some basement, usually broken, that are worth trading for a pair of sneakers or a buggy of groceries.
I’ve shared that same thought. Ideally, momma will snatch that gun under junior’s bed while he’s not looking and bring it to the gun buyback, but I doubt if that happens too often. I just can’t see the bad guys giving up their guns for $100 of groceries when they can use the gun to steal stuff of a lot more value.
Person Three
In their opinion, there is no accountability of the police who collect the guns. There is never a public record of all the guns collected or when and where they got disposed. As trusting citizens, we assume the police do the right thing and destroy the guns as advertised.
This person really got me to thinking. My original thought was that the guns are gathered (after the photo op on TV and the papers) and taken to some urn for meltdown. But, I’d imagine they’d first check to see if the guns were either used in a crime or stolen. I wonder how long that takes? And since most of these guns are broken, I wonder if there is anything preventing them for offering them for parts to people who specialize in guns. I’m sure they’d love that. Guns from buybacks aren’t like Hazmats which have to be documented all the way to the grave. Once the police get these guns, I assume it’s up to them what they do with them and when. Is there a law that they have to give a report on each gun they collect and its disposal?
What do you think of gun buyback programs? Do they work? Are they a waste?
I recommend giving the guys a Freakonomics a listen. They covered this very top recently.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.freakonomics.com/2013/02/14/how-to-think-about-guns-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
The say that most people that give guns to buy backs are the ones are the ones that wouldn't use the guns in a violent crime. They also estimated that a gun kills a person 1 every 10,000 years so you would need 10,000 guns in a buy back to prevent 1 murder. Of course that is an average and we all know in the real world one gun can kill more than one person but it's an interesting look at your questions.
I don't believe the gun buy back is worth a hill of bean. I agree with you, the guns that are sold back are broken or the good guys are the ones who are selling them. That leaves Pookie and Peanut with their guns waiting to used them as weapons of mass destruction. With that said, I'm keeping my guns and if Pookie or Peanut break in my place they will be confornted with a man bearing a weapon ready to blast without questions. Not one wishing he had not sold back his weapon for $40.00. Be ye also ready to shot when confronted. By the way, I am a licensed carrier.
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Does gun buy back work??? In my opinion yes if done correctly. When citizens bring back the guns they expect those guns to be destroyed as so to never see the streets again. Oh but in my City of Chester that's not the case. Especially when you have a police Commissioner that allow local gun dealers(Dusty Roads in particular) who is a personal friend of Commissioner Joe Bail I might add, to come in the CPD evidence room to take parts off of decommissioned fire arms so to fix and re-sale guns. I mean for real??? So let me get this straight, the CPD is now in the business of putting guns back on the street right??? Although this is not illegal according to State and Federal law it is Morally and Ethically wrong on every level. It totally undermines the whole buy back primus not to mention it's done unbeknownst to the City of Chester citizens. I mean, think about it. Can you imagine finding out that a gun you turned in was used to murder you son, daughter or a close friend etc. Just the thought turns my stomach. Hold up, is someone making money off of these acts of deceit??? Hmmmm I wonder an if so who??? Smh our administration is the worst. I'm thirsty impeachment anyone??? Food for thought!!!
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