A gun control idea that might work...

[spin]

Live in a tough neighborhood? Get $500 from West Palm Beach police for reporting guns

Friday, June 19, 2009

WEST PALM BEACH — Live in a rough 'hood surrounded by gun-packing thugs? Quick cash is a phone call away.

Under a new program announced this morning, anyone who spots people packing heat in West Palm Beach can call Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers anonymously and could receive a $500 reward.

The West Palm Beach Police Department will cough up $500 each time such a phone call leads to recovery of the weapon and an arrest for unlawful firearm possession.

Police say the program, modeled after similar efforts in Miami and Orlando, is different from traditional gun buyback programs because it seeks to nail the gun-wielders themselves.

"Ours actually goes after the felon," West Palm Beach police Lt. David Bernhardt said. "When you see the thousands of dollars we spend on a criminal investigation, $500 is nothing."

The police department has set aside $5,000 for the program — enough to dole out 10 full rewards. Bernhardt said that if it is a success officials will find money to continue giving out payments for gun arrests even after the initial money is depleted.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/19/0619gunbounty.html

Sounds more effective than a gun buy back program. Assuming, of course, that the guy caught with the illegal weapon does some serious time.

[geckosfeet]

1. Might nab some bad guys. Might harass some people carrying legally too.

Not sure how I feel about this. Isn't this the same town that made it illegal to feed the homeless?

[spin]

7. If someone notices I'm packing heat...

they're damn good. If they call the cops and I get stopped I deserve it.

[PavePusher]

9. You deserve to get stopped by police...

for exercising a Constitutional Right?

That doesn't sound right at all....

[spin]

10. True, however under current Florida law...

I can legally carry a CONCEALED weapon. I do my best to make sure it is concealed.

[Treo]

2. My problem is, Where's the money going to come from? NT

[slackmaster]

12. Maybe it's cheaper to capture and lock up violent criminals than to let them run loose

I don't have enough information for a good cost-benefit analysis, but perhaps the financial costs of allowing a career violent criminal to live outside of jail might be lower than incarceration plus the $500.

[spin]

13. The reason why politicians pass "feel good" laws...

is they're cheap and cost the government very little. They also convince the voters that the politicians are trying to confront the problem and solve it.

Unfortunately such laws accomplish little or nothing to reduce gun violence. They do, however, usually bother honest people.

[Lagomorph]

3. The problem with simple, effective programs...

Is it leads to abuse.

Plant a murder weapon, call the cops.

"Police, I saw Leonard put a weapon in a box on his porch."

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Or just unreasonable search and seizure.

It seems like an innovative idea, but the potential consequences are pretty bad. I don't think it's going to work out.

[customerserviceguy]

5. And what happens when they expand the program to other things?

Suspect your neighbor of having a joint? Turn him in, you just might win cash!

[Caliman73]

6. Agreed

That is the rub. It's no good to get one gun off the street if the felon carrying the illegal firearm gets off with a slap and goes out to get another one quickly.

[Tim01]

8. I am a real big fan of locking up criminals, but I think everyone else is right.

Too many problems with this approach.


Of course the current administration is taking this approach with domestic terrorists.

[votingupstart]

11. i will be interested to see how this is implemented nt

[davepc]

14. So you call the West Palm PD with the names of rival gang mebers

Wait for them to be picked up off the street, then move into their territory!

West Palm PD does all the work for you, and you don't even have to perform a drive-by!

[spin]

16. Damn, that's a plan. You would have made a good criminal...

drug lord. I personally would have just bought the top cops off.

[GreenStormCloud]

15. It is worth a trial.

They aren't going into it full-bore. Let's wait and see what happens.