Seattle Gun Buyback Exceeds Expectations, Blows Through $118,000 in Under Three Hours
Source: The Stranger
A line of cars, trunks filled with unwanted weapons, still extended for several blocks up James Street when police officers started turning vehicles away shortly before noon. Demand for Seattle's first gun buyback program in two decades had far exceeded demand, blowing through its $118,000 in contributions halfway through what was supposed to be a six-hour event.
Among the hundreds of handguns, shotguns, rifles, and assault weapons collected today was a shoulder-mounted surface-to-air missile launcher and three "Street Sweepers": 12-gauge 12-round semiautomatic shotguns specifically designed for combat and riot control. "'Street Sweeper' says it all," an uncharacteristically tongue-tied Mayor Mike McGinn said about the weapons.
"It's a little surreal," Seattle Police Foundation president Renée Hopkins said surveying the bins of surrendered weapons and the long line of citizens waiting to voluntarily hand over their arms. The foundation is administrating the gun buyback program, and contributed $25,000 toward funding the event. Hopkins says today's turnout "exceeded expectations," and she's looking forward to getting back to work raising money to fund upcoming buyback events at locations throughout the county.
... But by 11:30 am, two and half hours into what was supposed to be a six-hour event, it became apparent that at $100 per handgun, rifle, and shotgun, and $200 per assault weapon, the demand would quickly outstrip the $80,000 worth of gift cards on hand. The decision was made to close the line to newcomers and provide IOUs when the gift cards ran out, up to the total $118,000 in private donations the buyback program had alreay raised. A lot of unwanted-gun owners went home disappointed, yet few took advantage of the dozens of private gun buyers who had lined the streets, hoping to purchase weapons on the cheap. And that, perhaps, was the most remarkable aspect of today's event.
Read more: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/01/26/seattle-gun-buyback-exceeds-expectations-blows-through-118000-in-under-three-hours
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Not if everyone doesn't have guns anymore because they turned them into the police. 
...well maybe it will - but how many would have to suffer? 
or you wouldn't be posting more than a dozen messages mocking them for more than just the rocket launcher reason.
if you cannot carry on a discussion on this topic honestly, which in this thread, you've proven you cannot, then nobody is going to believe a thing you say on the topic.
so what i recommend, for your sake and the sake of your gun rights --stop posting on this topic, because the very thing working against your rights to own a gun, the most dangerous thing to your rights right now? your false and dishonest posts related to guns.
see, everyone's going to think you're trying to fool them and whatever argument you make now, many will assume is false.
so whatever genius argument you make, because you've killed your credibility, people will believe the opposite.
so, to protect your rights, i recommend that you stop talking.
if you want gun control passed and strengthened, then keep posting as you have...your false posts will sell it better than i can.
You got me, that is my secret obsession. Yes sir all buybacks are bad. It is good you know more about me than me.
would like you to recognize that the gun dealers would likely check to see if the weapons were functional and would have to document their existence (and hence continue to be evidence?), whereas the Police sponsored event would accept any weapon and better yet, will destroy it at the end!
Anytime we remove guns from "the streets" it is a positive step. I just hope the folks in Seattle are taking some precautions regarding weapons that had potentially been used in crimes (and i admittedly don't know how that would work)...
the cops factored in that little 'trick', i'd guess... 
the money is donated, the people get grocery cards.
those same people earned back 400-500% on each gun thanks to the current gun-rush; gun speculators, if you will. It's similar to the stock market, but in firearms.
that is preposterous and should be illegal, of course. great, people make 500% profits on the black market.
that is just the way the nra wants it, good for you!
wow, you bought a gun and made money off it. pay any tax? keep any records?
Regarding the evidence-destruction complaint Ector made outside the event, Stephens said: "We're going to run the guns... and before the guns are destroyed they will be run for ballistics to see if they've been used in any other crimes."
Stephens said the department is running the serial numbers of all of the guns accepted during the event and owners of any stolen guns will be notified.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/08/gun_advocates_offer_to_outbid.html
The police program paid gun owners between $25 and $100 for their guns.
"These guys out here are willing to double and triple that," said Rick Ector, 44, a Detroit gun rights activist who helped plan the protest.
The offers fell upon mostly deaf ears, as few crossed the street to inquire about the premium buyback offers the activists were making.
The reason, several of them theorized, was the police response to their efforts.
Between the activists and residents awaiting to sell their unwanted guns, stood a row of five police in the center of the street.
"The police are obviously putting a wall, a barricade, between us and the people who are in line," Ector said. "It's a form of intimidation."
Ector and others said gun buyback events unfairly "demonize" guns.
how does some gun lover poaching a gun from the cops and selling it with no BG check get anything off the street?
i honestly have no idea why one would do that, it sounds immoral and greedy to me.
