Do Anonymous Gun Buy Backs Encourage Gun Theft, or...?

[Darryl Licht]

I was reading this article earlier:

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20131205/la-wants-your-guns-will-trade-for-grocery-cards-at-buybacks-across-the-city

Then got to thinking rewarding donations with a gift card good at a grocery store this might contribute to gun theft, since the turn ins are anonymous. Make it a Bass Pro Shops card and suddenly only sportsmen would donate.

Or do buy backs get stolen and illegal guns off the street.

What are your theories...

[Doheny]

What are your theories...

My theory is that you're over thinking it and that there is a bit of prejudice in your post. Are you saying that only people who need groceries steal?

Who's to say that gift cards to Bass Pro wouldn't contribute to gun theft? Maybe sportsmen would steal cr*ppy guns to get a Bass Pro gift card and buy a better gun?

Or do buy backs get stolen and illegal guns off the street.

Really? Hasn't this been asked about a 1000 times here?

[IntoForever]

I know this has been beaten a few times but as I understand, all guns turned in are destroyed, which means your private property, if stolen is never returned to you. I think it's a little bit of everything as I've seen people simply turn in their own firearms, an elderly lady turned in her deceased husband's antique guns because she hated guns and wanted them destroyed. I've also read where some buy backs were paying more than they were worth new. I think the thefts are going to occur regardless of buy backs.

[cr250chevy]

I'd like to see the stats for how many turned in guns are stolen. Even better, but not possible, how many were used in crime(s).

Evidence is what gets you thrown in jail. If I were a criminal, I'd love gun buy backs to get rid of my evidence for me.

I just wish the guns turned in went onto the shelves to be sold to responsible law abiding citizens. We all go through a background check and waiting period here in CA to help ensure this...

These gun buy backs just trick unknowledgeable people into turning in their guns for a little bit of $$$. I'd imagine most guns turned in are by someone who has zero knowledge of guns and inherited it from a family member. If they knew how to legally sell it, they could get a lot more than a gift card.

[stix213]

Recent funny Cracked.com article talked about gun buy backs. These guys are neither pro or anti (well there is one writer who is an anti but not this guy).


"5 Laws That Made Sense on Paper (And Disasters in Reality)"

http://www.cracked.com/article_20724_5-laws-that-made-sense-paper-and-disasters-in-reality.html

[Uxi]

I doubt it does anything as far as theft. Most thieves are going to thieve...

[Darryl Licht]

My theory is that you're over thinking it and that there is a bit of prejudice in your post. Are you saying that only people who need groceries steal?

Prejudice? Perhaps to an economic class I'm not far from... poverty! But if people steal/trade/sell/buy booze with food stamps they would/could certainly use the gift card similarly. A gun buy back is an easy way to pick up a few $100 with no questions asked... Or as others have said re-sell those legal firearms for revenue to the PD. They all need $ in Cali!

Who's to say that gift cards to Bass Pro wouldn't contribute to gun theft? Maybe sportsmen would steal cr*ppy guns to get a Bass Pro gift card and buy a better gun? ...

Never said they wouldn't, but much more unlikely with our group!

[VictorFranko]

A stolen firearm is worth more on the street than the buy back programs pay.

[edgerly779]

Stolen firearms recovered due to gunbuybacks are returned after investigation complete. They become evidence in a reported crime and become evidence in the investigation.

[bodger]

Gotta love Arizona:

TUCSON —
City- or county-sponsored gun buybacks — often used in larger cities to entice people to give up their handguns — have become effectively pointless in Arizona with legislation signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.The bill prohibits cities and counties from destroying any guns that come into their possession; instead, the firearms must now be sold to federally licensed dealers.


FULL STORY:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/04/nation/la-na-nn-arizona-gun-buybacks-jan-brewer-20130504

[kaligaran]

What I'd be more interested in knowing is, do thefts of firearms rise after the announcement of an upcoming gun buyback.

[a1c]

I doubt there is any solid data to support either camp.

Also, I don't think all buybacks follow the same scheme. While they're generally "No questions asked", I do believe in many cases serials are run through the system to see if the firearms were stolen.

Here is a buyback from Seattle PD earlier this week where it is mentioned that the PD will run the serials to see if some of the guns are stolen, and if they are, they will be returned to their rightful owners:

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2013/01/08/so-youd-like-to-turn-your-guns-into-gift-cards/

I'm not sure they all work like this. But I suspect some PDs or SOs wouldn't mind closing some theft cases by locating stolen guns and returning them, instead of blindly destroying the whole batch without further investigation.

[sl0re10]

I know this has been beaten a few times but as I understand, all guns turned in are destroyed, which means your private property, if stolen is never returned to you. I think it's a little bit of everything as I've seen people simply turn in their own firearms, an elderly lady turned in her deceased husband's antique guns because she hated guns and wanted them destroyed. I've also read where some buy backs were paying more than they were worth new. I think the thefts are going to occur regardless of buy backs.

its my understanding they check whether they are reported stolen and those are not destroyed.

Just; they check after the person who dropped it off is allowed to leave.