Gun buy-back to start in Columbus

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Gun buy-back to start in Columbus
Published 11:03 am, Saturday, February 23, 2013

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — The Columbus Police Department will launch a gun buy-back program on Monday.

The Commercial Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/Yd9DuG) guns can be exchanged for cash payments at the Wal-Mart parking lot, Townsend Community Center, Sim Scott Park and the East Columbus Gym.

The first set of buyback dates are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The City Council approved the program at the recommendation of Mayor Robert Smith and Councilman Kabir Karriem.

Participants can anonymously swap guns for payments of $20 for BB guns or air pistols, $100 for hand guns, $200 for rifles or shotguns and $300 for military/assault rifles. City officials say the weapons will be destroyed.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/crime/article/Gun-buy-back-to-start-in-Columbus-4302603.php#ixzz2LkaWi0YP

[slackmaster]

1. The perfect way to get rid of a "hot" crime gun

No questions asked.

[roxy1234]

2. dont forget

Old and defective guns too. I wish someone will start such a program for electronic items cos I got som old box set Tvs that I woulkd like to get rid off

[Deep13]

4. Yeah. I've got an obsolete scanner and a 1996 Imac. nt

[Gore1FL]

12. Best Buy does electronics recycling.

There are other's too.

[roxy1234]

14. true but

I doubt they give me a penny for my old TV

[Gore1FL]

29. I doubt anyone would.

Getting rid of it for free is the ideal at this point.

[Honeycombe8]

13. Great way to get it off the street. Stats show that the gun buyback programs work well...

like everything, they're not perfect. But there are fewer guns on the street after buybacks, I've read. That's why cities are doing the buybacks, because they work.

[petronius]

35. I've never seen anything to suggest that gun buybacks have an effect on

crime or public safety. At best, they give people an incentive to get rid of an unwanted gun that they might not be storing properly. That may make some individual households a bit safer, but I can't see it as anywhere close to an efficient or effective use of public funds, given all the other possible expenditures in the health and safety area.

But if private organizations want to use their funds for this purpose I'm all for it - putting money in pockets and food on tables is always a good thing. And I certainly think police and other agencies should be willing to accept and dispose of an unwanted firearm at any time, should an owner request disposal assistance...

[rdharma]

28. "No questions asked." WRONG

Last edited Sat Feb 23, 2013, 09:25 PM - Edit history (1)

"We will run the guns to see if they are stolen and try to get them back to their owners," Police Chief Selvain McQueen said.

The San Antonio newspaper left out some of the facts contained in the article from the Columbus newspaper. Intentionally?

[Deep13]

3. That will get a lot of cheap, rusted-out, nonfunctioning guns from people.

Military/assault rifles are already illegal so there won't be many of those. If the writer means civilian legal AR15s, then they still won't get many since the used price right now is around $1000. Why more for long guns than handguns, which are generally preferred by criminals? And why pay anything for a BB gun?

Also, suppose someone steals a gun and then turns it in for $100. What recourse does the legal owner have?

[rdharma]

5. What recourse does the legal owner have?

"Also, suppose someone steals a gun and then turns it in for $100. What recourse does the legal owner have?"

The "legal owner" should have been a "responsible owner" and taken better care of securing his/her gun.

[roxy1234]

6. Good ole victim blaming

Do you also go around telling victims of rape that it was their fault for the rape or is this just reserved to gun owners?

[rdharma]

8. victim blaming?

Hardly! And your comparison of an irresponsible gun owner to a rape victim is reductio ad absurdum.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. And you just admitted it was valid...

[Deep13]

15. Theft means that a criminal third party felon who the owner can't control is involved.

I know you probably think that lawful owners are criminals morally, but since the law requires actual culpability I guess I can ignore your opinion.

The real answer is that he can seek restitution from the penniless convict after the state sends him to prison, same as any crime victim. Of course most crimes do not have the city actively participating in the offense. He or she can file an insurance claim depending on deductibles etc.

[rdharma]

19. Most stolen weapons are not secured.

IMHO, anybody who doesn't safely secure a weapon from smash and grab...... shouldn't own one.

[NutmegYankee]

17. Does that apply to stolen cars as well?

Even if locked, if a thief really wants something, they are going to steal it.

[rdharma]

18. stolen cars as well?

Ignition and stearing wheel lock popped?

[NutmegYankee]

20. It happens quite often in some places.

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/property_crime/motor_vehicle_theft.html

[rdharma]

22. It happens MORE often........

If you leave your vehicle unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

[NutmegYankee]

23. cite the stats nt

[rdharma]

24. Look 'em up!

And they won't be accurate because admitting you left your car unlocked with the keys in the ignition will give the insurance company an excuse not to pay your "stolen car" claim.

[NutmegYankee]

25. How convenient!

You state that only irresponsible people get their cars stolen, then won't cite the data to back it up and claim it's not valid anyway.

I guess we're done here!

[rdharma]

26. "You state that only irresponsible people get their cars stolen" Nope!

I never said that. But nice attempt to put words in my mouth!

[NutmegYankee]

30. See the totality of your above posts.

Just because it wasn't explicit doesn't mean it's not there.

[rdharma]

32. "doesn't mean it's not there."

I think your imagination is getting the better of you.

[NutmegYankee]

34. And the excuses of you.

[Peter cotton]

33. I once saw a detailed list of the firearms turned in at a buyback.

About 20% were non-operational junk, and 70% I would characterize as operational junk...pot metal handguns, single shot shotguns, off brand .22 rifles, etc.

About 9% were quality but not terribly expensive firearms...Ruger, Taurus, an old Ortgies, etc.

Only 1% could be remotely described as assault weapons. An SKS and an Iver Johnson M1 Carbine, as I recall.

Guess which guns were featured in the news?

[CreekDog]

37. we had a gun buyback in my county and most guns worked

nearly all of them in fact.

and most of the guns were legal.

only a very small number of the total were not.

did you realize that what you typed about guns is your "philosophy" and not facts?

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Will they show them being destroyed?

That would be the icing on the cake.

[Deep13]

16. Pretty sure we can take their word for it. nt

[Sunlei]

9. wow its time to buyup a bunch of rusted out broken junk :)

[Duckhunter935]

10. probably will get

a couple more empty tubes off the street. And the press will fall for it again.

[judesedit]

21. Thank you, CPD, for being part of the solution and not part of the problem. You rock.

[Peter cotton]

27. Will it turn into an impromptu gun show, as the one in Seattle did?

http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2020241216_westneat30xml.html

[upaloopa]

31. There are always gun nuts at these things

offering to buy your gun in the name of freedom or some other stupid gunner meme.

[Kolesar]

36. It's a laff riot for the gunsters until your nephew takes your pistol to school & kills three kids

Like happened in Chardon one year ago